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Win for University of Warwick’s IGGY at the Midlands Business Awards

IGGY, the University of Warwick’s online education and social network for the brightest young people worldwide, has triumphed at this year’s Midlands Business Awards, winning the category Innovative University of the Year for Outstanding Performance from a University Department Promoting Innovation.

The awards, which took place at the Hilton Metropole in Birmingham on Friday 20 February, celebrate the finest business talent that the Midlands has to offer. From manufacturers, clubs and service providers through to universities and young entrepreneurs, they recognise the best business minds in 11 categories, aiming to provide a powerful stimulus in creating a legacy which embraces talent, entrepreneurs and business development.

Registrar and Chief Operating Officer at the University of Warwick, Ken Sloan said: “We are absolutely delighted to win this award and see IGGY recognised in this way. Since its inception we have worked hard to ensure that IGGY offers an innovative, accessible and secure platform for its members. We are incredibly proud of the team here that have worked so hard to ensure the success of IGGY and also our members whose interest and contributions help to continue to grow and develop the community daily.”

Jo Thomas, Head of Content & Safeguarding at IGGY said: “We are over the moon to have been recognised at the Midlands Business Awards. Our aim is always to provide interesting, challenging and innovative content for our members and this award really celebrates our achievements to date.”

IGGY, which is for 13-18 year olds from across the globe, focuses on providing stretching content in core subjects of Maths, English, Science, History, Politics and Life Skills but also covers a wide range of other subjects. Activities are presented in a range of formats; from quick quizzes to longer video courses and podcast series. IGGY has been built around the concept of ‘gamification’ and awards points, badges and occasionally prizes to reward learning and engagement.

IGGY also features a lively forum area, where members can start their own debates and contribute to other members’ topics. IGGY’s ‘Homework Help’ includes posts from members looking for support with homework, and postgraduate student mentors are on hand to give advice. Networking is an important element of the site, and members are able to set up a profile page, message friends, ‘upvote’ and comment on posts and blogs, and also collaborate on projects if they wish.

IGGY is safe and secure due to its robust moderation tools. The site is continually monitored through a combination of advanced word filtering software and human moderation. The community members therefore support each other within a safe and stimulating environment.

Find out more about IGGY:

Visit the IGGY website

Notes for editors:

For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact: Alison Rowan, Communications Manager, a.rowan@warwick.ac.uk or by telephone on 024 7615 0423 or 07876 218166