for the East of England.
Extensions to the Silberrad Student Centre and Albert Sloman Library were made in 2015 which received RIBA's Regional Building of the Year Award 2016 plus a national RIBA award.
The Forum Southend-on-Sea opened in 2013 and was a joint project between Essex, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and South Essex College and became a runner-up in the 'Buildings that Inspire' category of The Guardian University Awards in 2015.
In 2018, a STEM Centre opened to conglomerate the university's science departments and The Copse student accommodation opened offering 643 new single ensuite rooms and studios. In 2019, the Innovation Centre, Knowledge Gateway opened offering space for more than 50 start-up technology businesses.
In 2013, Queen Elizabeth II conferred upon the university the Regius Professorship, recognising "50 years of excellence in research and education in political science at Essex". The first Regius professor was David Sanders of the Government Department, who held the post from 2014–2017. Since December 2017, Kristian Skrede Gleditsch was appointed as the second Regius Professor.
In March 2019, Essex joined seven other universities across European to form the Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE) Alliance. Later in June 2019, the European Commission announced YUFE to be one of 17 projects that will receive funding for a three-year pilot under the European Universities Initiative funded by the Erasmus+ programme. The objective of the programme is to create 'European Universities' based on cross-border alliances of higher education institutions that share a common long-term strategy in the promotion of European values and identity.
== Colchester campus and architecture ==
Wivenhoe Park, the home of the primary campus, was painted by landscape painter John Constable in 1816. The park houses the main 1960s buildings along with Wivenhoe House, an 18th-century mansion that also features in Constable's painting. Wivenhoe House hotel was closed in December 2010 for major refurbishment …
