Leicester wins Duolingo’s University Challenge

Dr Fiona Ashmore from the University of Leicester has been crowned the first winner of the Duolingo English Test University Challenge.

The Senior Study Abroad Officer achieved the highest DET score, narrowly beating entrants from the London Business School, the University of West London and Imperial. 

The award was presented by Laura Kaub, Director of Duolingo’s University Access Programme, before an audience of UK higher education professionals at DETCon London – a one day conference titled Brave New World: Technology’s Role in Navigating Turbulent Times – exploring  the role of innovation and digital tools in enabling the higher education sector to respond to global instability.

Dr Ashmore has chosen to donate the £5,000 prize to the University of Leicester’s Sanctuary Seekers Unit, whose tireless work supports refugees and displaced individuals – breaking down barriers to education and creating pathways to hope and opportunity.

"We launched the challenge to bridge the gap between policy and practice, giving university staff experience of the assessment process their students undertake," said Michael Lynas, Director, UK & Ireland, Duolingo English Test. “Congratulations to Dr Ashmore and the University of Leicester for their outstanding engagement. Their participation highlights the value of empathy in admissions, and we are particularly gratified to support the Sanctuary Seekers Unit through this prize as we are committed to this cause.”

Dr Ashmore, a Senior Study Abroad Officer and Turing Scheme Lead at the University, is a passionate advocate for international student mobility. She has a particular focus on widening access and promoting social mobility through global opportunities. Her work is aligned with colleagues who support international students coming to Leicester – whether for short visits or full academic programmes. She is also a strong believer in the power of shared knowledge, championing greater collaboration across institutions to enrich the entire higher education landscape.

Dr Ashmore said: “I‘m delighted to be named the first winner of the DET University Challenge. The test was much harder than I thought. This experience was both fun and insightful, and gave me real empathy and a first-hand understanding of an applicant's perspective. The prize will also be invaluable to the Sanctuary Seekers Unit at Leicester."

Aleks Palanac, Head of Sanctuary at the University of Leicester, said: “We extend our sincere thanks to the Duolingo English Test, and to Dr Fiona Ashmore for donating her prize to support our work. We are a small team with a big reach, and this donation will make a significant difference to our work supporting displaced students in the UK and around the world, on projects such as our trauma-informed RefugEAP Programme.”

The competition challenged staff to experience the DET first hand, stepping into the shoes of English as a Second Language (ESL) applicants. The prize was offered to boost professional development, fund research, or support a nominated international higher education charity.

The University Challenge was conceived by Duolingo's UK Advisory Group featuring volunteers from a broad range of UK institutions) and following the success of the Westminster Language Challenge. The goal was to foster understanding and empathy regarding English proficiency requirements. It directly addressed the need for those involved in international student English ability debates to gain lived experience of taking such a test.

The Duolingo English Test continues to be a trusted, convenient, and secure online English proficiency assessment, accepted by over 5,500 institutions worldwide.

For more details, visit the Higher Education Policy Institute website.