Outreach and communication

How universities can use civic engagement and collaboration to impact their local communities as well as communicating and sharing knowledge with the public

Students with their hands up in class

Encourage civic participation by championing free speech

Instead of shying away from the challenges it presents, let’s embrace free speech as an opportunity for learning, growth and the continuous evolution of our academic spaces, writes Shubha HS

Shubha HS

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Hands high five

Community-engaged research can give a voice to marginalised people

Our biggest challenges cannot be resolved by ‘expert’ research alone – community knowledge is essential. Tara Mahoney and Scott Neufeld argue that researchers should let communities set the agenda

Tara Mahoney, Scott Neufeld

Simon Fraser University

Two people address a crowd; a display with pie charts is behind them

Four ways to defeat public speaking anxiety

Even experienced academics can get anxious before public speaking. Fikrican Kayıkçı suggests four ways to approach speeches with confidence

Fikrican Kayıkçı

Near East University

Public speaking concept

Taming anxiety around public speaking

Public speaking is a skill that inspires dread in many: fear of judgement, of making mistakes, of facing unpredictable circumstances. Here, Patty Raun draws on her experience as an actor to share tips for quelling the anxiety

Patricia Raun

Virginia Tech

An engineer controls the quality using a tablet device to inspect the drilling machine in the factory

What’s the key to collaborations between HE and industry? Analytical testing services

Analytical testing services can revolutionise collaboration between universities and industries. Imtias Amir Bahauddin explains how

Imtias Amir Bahauddin

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Woman giving a presentation

Practical ways to ease presentation nerves

One way to offset public-speaking anxiety is to have confidence in your presentation. Brandi Quesenberry shares the keys to making your presentation shine and ensuring that it is memorable, impactful and successful

Brandi Quesenberry

Virginia Tech

A speaker reads from notes on a podium

The everyday tools you can use to alleviate public speaking anxiety

Research shows that people regard death as less terrifying than public speaking. Thomas Duke offers three ways to speak with confidence

Thomas Duke

Nazarbayev University

Doctors performing heart surgery

How to train world-champion cardiologists

Competition, cooperation and continuity in talent support play integral roles in training and preparing medical professionals, and improving patient care, write three cardiologists

Gellér László, Zoltán Salló, Nándor Szegedi

Semmelweis University

Student sitting at a desk at the library on his laptop

Student communication: a compassionate approach

Compassionate student communication that ensures engagement is personal and unique to each student could enhance the university experience

James Gray

Kortext

Students walking up a staircase in an old university building

Digital marketing for universities: strategies for success

University marketing teams can increase their visibility and attract a diverse applicant pool by using contemporary strategies, writes Archana R. Nayak

Archana R. Nayak

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Two people in hard hats walk through a lab

How can we take research from the lab to the marketplace?

When getting the products of your research into the hands of the people who need them, challenges arise. Vorathin Epin, Ibham Veza, Mazian Mohammad and Abdul Rahim Othman offer advice on how to overcome them

Ibham Veza, Abdul Rahim Othman, Vorathin Epin , Mazian Mohammad

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Woman giving a presentation

Effective public-speaking techniques for university faculty

University faculty need public-speaking skills when they seek to engage students, collaborate with colleagues, secure funding and further their careers. Patty Raun leverages her skills as a stage actor to help higher education professionals improve their presentation chops

Patricia Raun

Virginia Tech

Group of students in greenhouse

How to make public engagement work for early career academics

Academics need to be able to translate what they research to engage a wide range of audiences. But to do that, scientists must first find the public engagement shape that fits them and their schedule. Here’s advice for getting started

Sien van der Plank, John Duncan, Yanna Fidai

University of Southampton, The University of Western Australia, Plymouth Marine Laboratory

A bird's eye view of a table with reports and laptops

Researchers need support to change the world – here’s how to provide it

To generate world-changing research, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Research and Innovation Office took on the role of fostering collaboration and allocation of resources to allow their academics to focus completely on their work. Lixin Situ outlines how to provide support.

Lixin Situ

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Row of children reading colourful books

Using storybooks to share research with a wider audience

Storybooks offer a collegial method of sharing research findings beyond the peer-reviewed journals of academia – and putting it in the hands of the people who can best use the information, write Dominic Petronzi, Dean Fido and Rebecca Petronzi

Dominic Petronzi , Dean Fido, Rebecca Petronzi

University of Derby

A female student browsing a computer in the library

The library’s role in digital education: content is still king

University libraries have a huge opportunity to evolve and strengthen their roles. To do this, they must demonstrate the value of their digital content by promoting the use of their digital collections to engage, inspire and enhance learning

José Vladimir Burgos Aguilar

Monterrey Institute of Technology

A librarian in a striped dress stacks books on a shelf

As librarians, we should embrace open research

Open access represents a new opportunity, and librarians are ideally placed to implement it. Nazarbayev University’s library team offers their advice

Jerald Cavanagh, Darya Zvonareva, Monika Bukowska, April Manabat, Yelizaveta Kamilova

Nazarbayev University

Woman signing document

Pledges and charters in medical schools: catalysts for change or performative promises?

Pledges demonstrating support in addressing issues such as racism and misogyny will often garner interest and may even attract pockets of funding. But they also risk oversimplifying complex problems, writes Lois Haruna-Cooper

Lois Haruna-Cooper

University College London

podcast graphic

THE podcast bonus episode: an interview with Kathryn Sikkink, Ryan Family professor of human rights policy at Harvard Kennedy School

Human rights scholar and award-winning author Kathryn Sikkink talks about her work with the Harvard Votes Challenge, how young people are more savvy about misinformation than older generations and why, in this year of elections, democracy needs protection

Kathryn Sikkink

Harvard University

Two people discuss diagrams laid out on a table

Maximise your research impact through interdisciplinary collaboration

What’s the best way to achieve research impact? Qingyan Chen makes the case for an interdisciplinary approach

Qingyan Chen

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

podcast graphic

THE podcast: how to turn university students into engaged citizens – and voters

Political scientists, in the US and the UK, discuss how universities can support Generation Z to engage with the democratic process, how to foster safe and open political discussion and why voting is like bungee jumping

Elizabeth C. Matto, Michael Bruter

Rutgers University, The London School of Economics and Political Science

Members of a focus group having a discussion

Steps to take to encourage more support for public engagement in research

By fostering a culture in which public engagement is not just encouraged but embedded into the fabric of academic life, institutions can leave a lasting impact on both the scholarly community and the world at large

Lyn R. Keith

The University of the West Indies

Multiracial group of young people

‘Strengthening institution-wide commitment to trans inclusion is more important than ever’

Guidance for museums, galleries and heritage has insight for universities as they prepare to bolster freedom of speech, write four academics

Suzanne MacLeod, Richard Sandell , Sharon Cowan, E-J Scott

University of Leicester, The University of Edinburgh, University of the Arts London

Volunteers at a food bank

How to foster a civic mindset in the era of AI

Create spaces that allow small groups of people to see themselves in a broader context, encourage them to dream of what possibilities and opportunities could exist and then help them to take action

Robert Huish

Dalhousie University

A male and female figure stand atop piles of coins, with the male figure's pile higher

Why have higher education’s female leaders had to wait so long for equal pay?

The higher education sector’s gender pay gap stands at 14.8 per cent, three percentage points higher than the UK as a whole. Janet Jones asks why and what we can do about it

Janet Jones

University of Westminster

Climate protest in the street

Empowering women leaders in fighting climate change: a call to action

Achieving gender balance goes beyond mere representation, writes Tahseen Jafry. Tackling the climate crisis necessitates a profound shift among the next generation of leaders towards gender-sensitive decision-making processes

Tahseen Jafry

Glasgow Caledonian University

Film set

Film storytelling can enhance learning in STEM subjects

In the era of social technologies, authentic storytelling becomes a powerful tool for cultural and social change, a fundamental role of higher education, writes Arijit Mukhopadhyay

Arijit Mukhopadhyay

University of Salford

Crowd at Euston station, London

How to harness community knowledge to tackle complex policy challenges

Working with local communities can help uncover new insights to tackle complex social policy challenges. Saffron Woodcraft and Joseph Cook explain how to set up high-impact citizen social science research

Saffron Woodcraft, Joseph Cook

University College London

Diversity concept

Celebrate Black History Year and tackle racial inequality all year long

Instead of consigning the recognition of Black histories to one single month, Deborah Husbands, Stephen Bunbury and Dibyesh Anand advocate for a Black History Year

Deborah Husbands , Stephen Bunbury, Dibyesh Anand

University of Westminster

News on mobile phone

How to engage with the media and expand the impact of your work

Academic scholars are generally not trained to write for broad audiences, so how do you get your compelling, newsworthy research out there? Gregory R. Goldsmith offers five considerations

Gregory Goldsmith

Chapman University

A group of policymakers discussing research

How to facilitate knowledge exchange and build trust with policymakers

Those seeking to create impact with their evidence should be ready to understand how public sector bodies make sense of the value of research, writes Julian Molina

Julian Molina

University of Bristol

Students sitting in an auditorium

We set up a thought leadership programme to amplify PhD research reach

Dalhousie's OpenThink programme shows how universities can empower the next generation of thought leaders and facilitate public engagement

Lynne M. Robinson

Dalhousie University

Diverse speech concept

The language of inclusivity is not inclusive

Terms such as equity, diversity and inclusion give the impression that they are dealing with what is present. In fact, EDI work deals with what is absent, writes Pascal Matthias. He offers ways to think, speak and write differently

Pascal Matthias

University of Southampton

Pottery wheel

Fostering student co-creation to give back to the community

Engaging in local civic projects offers students meaningful learning opportunities, fosters co-creation and supports the community at large. Here, Martha Sullivan outlines the benefits based on working with the Empty Bowls project

Martha Sullivan

Virginia Tech

A woman speaks to a group of a people

Conference presentations 101: master the art of speaking to an audience

Don’t get stage fright when it comes to presenting your research. Ayten Ordu offers her tips for preparing for speaking success

Ayten Ordu

Near East University

Volunteers wearing hi vis

Use students to facilitate impactful collaborations that benefit the community

Using students to connect third-sector organisations with people who can help them brings benefits to all involved. By Martin Parker

Martin Parker

University of Bristol

Communication concept

Why press releases are a waste of your comms team’s time

Most universities will track press release output as part of overall communications metrics – but, asks Kylie Ahern, have you considered other ways to generate media coverage, awareness of your brand or better relationships with journalists?

Kylie Ahern

STEM Matters

A multigenerational group of people link arms and gaze into the sunset

To build a community in higher education, start from the ground up

Gareth Morris and Fiseha Berhanu Tesema outline grass-roots initiatives to help make your campus a socially cohesive place to work and study

Gareth Morris, Fiseha Berhanu Tesema

University of Nottingham Ningbo China

A young scientist uses a laptop and mobile phone in the lab

Science communication tips for marketers

When research reaches a broader audience, it improves the society we live in and inspires the next generation of scientists. Iris Lai offers her advice on engaging the public with your work

Iris Lai

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

University students standing outside campus

Defining first-generation is harder than you think

The first step towards providing better support for first-generation students should be to acknowledge the variety of definitions that exist and develop a better shared understanding of how those definitions affect students

Brian Heseung Kim

Common App

A student practices their interviewing skills

Why your students need to learn the skills of a journalist

Interviewing real people to gain original stories and insights is a skill that will serve your students well in the age of AI. Julie Nightingale offers tips

Julie Nightingale

Nottingham Trent University

Tree bent in the wind

‘Resilience is grit amid uncertainty’

In this extract from ‘The Resilient University’, Freeman Hrabowski and co-authors offer the resources and mindset that higher education institutions need to develop to sustain themselves through challenges and crises

Freeman Hrabowski, Peter H. Henderson, Lynne C. Schaefer , Philip J. Rous

University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland, Baltimore

Tree-in-hand sculpture in Dubai

In-person events are still necessary

Should academics be travelling to events that could be done virtually? Drawing on her experiences at COP28, Denise Baden shares tips on how to make the most of these events – and why a chance to form alliances, learn from each other and share ideas for action make it worth being present

Denise Baden

University of Southampton

Student studying online at home

How to establish peer-to-peer support networks for online, first-generation students

Given the limited opportunities for organic peer-to-peer interactions online, universities must use a data-driven approach to create opportunities for students to build connections, writes Nesha Thompson

Nesha Thompson

The University of the West Indies

Student support group

How can we encourage more prospective first-generation students to apply to university?

Reflecting on her experiences as a first-generation student and widening participation practitioner, Raeesah Ellis-Haque shares insight into how universities can ensure communications and outreach activities speak to prospective first-generation students

Raeesah Ellis-Haque

University of Bristol

Group of three multiracial people talking

Building trust in research: how effective patient and public involvement can help

Involving patients and the public in research results in more relevant outcomes and gathers insight into what issues affect and are of importance to them and their communities, writes Gary Hickey

Gary Hickey

University of Southampton

Group activity

Empower communities using the Tree of Hope activity for post-project evaluation

Post-project evaluation tools that generate useful participant feedback drive positive, enduring change, write Suthawan Thummasungwan and Prakit Arsa

Prakit Arsa , Suthawan Thummasungwan

Siam University

Dial high for impact

Show your research impact: a guide for academics and researchers

In academia, effectively demonstrating and communicating the real-world impact of research is increasingly vital for scholars, driven by demands from funding bodies and academic institutions

Mohammed Al-Bahrani

Al-Mustaqbal University

Maximise your research impact with these seven LinkedIn tips

LinkedIn works as a powerful tool for academics who want to share their research, yet self-promotion can be daunting. Here are seven tips to engage with other academics on the platform and define your brand

Rushana Khusainova, Julio D'Angelo Davies, Hannah Robinson , Chris Bennett, Imad Faruque , Lucy Wallis, Jacks Bennett

University of Bristol

A microphone against a purple background

Five things to know before you launch a research podcast

Starting a podcast can open up your research to a new audience. David Allan and Andrew Murray show how

David Allan, Andrew Murray

University of the West of Scotland