Dan Barcroft

Was fantastic to welcome Darlington Economic Campus colleagues to Teesside University yesterday for a workshop on Place-Based Cultural Change and Creative Policy Making led by my fantastic colleagues Professor Azadeh Fatehrad, Prof Antonia Liguori, Prof Matthew Cotton, Dr Sally Blackburn-Daniels and Dr Michael Mulvihill. Drawing on our interdisciplinary research on public policy and place leadership, we explored how creative tools and visual metaphors can shape our understanding of the North East, focusing on challenges, opportunities, and connections. ✨ Key Highlights: • Participants shared personal reflections using the Pepeha method, connecting themselves to their local landscapes and building a shared understanding of place. • Through interactive activities, we mapped out perceptions of living in the NE, discussing how media and policy shape these views. • Using creative materials, participants visualized opportunities (balloons), challenges (stones), and bridges to symbolize connections for growth. • We ended the day with a powerful reflection session, gathering key takeaways and discussing how these insights can inform future strategies. #PolicyMaking #PlaceBasedApproaches #NorthEast #CommunityEngagement #CreativeStrategies #Leadership #PlaceMaking #DEC #TeessideUniversity #CollectivePlaceLeadership Zak Anderson-Watt Ellie Moir Beth Russell Matthew Watson Dr. Laura Sillars

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We're going on tour! if you'd like to join our SME masterclass this year, see below 👇

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Check out these roles!

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Today Advance HE published a blog co-authored by our DVC, Prof Deborah Johnston MBE, articulating our position that effective partnership with PSRBs will be key to enabling the pedagogic innovation needed to prepare graduates to become the workforce of the future. In the blog post, we invite contributions that showcase examples of working with a PSRB to innovate accredited provision, such as through pedagogic innovation, inclusive academic delivery, or novel assessment methods. We are particularly interested in strategies for overcoming challenges, resolving issues and achieving consensus and the impact on students, staff, employers and PSRBs.  Marc Griffith, Antony Moss, Patrick Christie https://lnkd.in/enqeHHX4

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Universities power the UK economy! As a sector we need to be even more effective in delivering value, while also communicating our contribution in a consistent and compelling manner.

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📈 Our SEND School Improvement programme focuses on 7 key areas—from Intent to Provision Mapping—helping leaders create and embed actionable plans to enhance SEND provision and outcomes. Learn more today ⬇️

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Adding to the posts about Results Day! So many of my wonderful sector colleagues have posted about their preparations and excitement - I know my team at Nottingham Trent University are all ready to go and I'm so very proud of what we've done so far. Whether you're a Clearing call operator nervous about your first call, a senior leader constantly refreshing the data, a journalist drafting a story about how 'easy' it is to get into university, or a certain celebrity writing a tweet about how wonderful your life is despite your results, just remember there's a person behind every number. Thousands of young people (and their parents!) will be going to bed tonight worried, before receiving their results in the morning and wondering what's next. They'll be picking up the phone tomorrow looking for a life changing opportunity, or just some friendly words of reassurance. They will see, hear, read how you treat them. Don't diminish their achievement. Be professional, be helpful and above all be kind. And to the students. Be proud of yourselves, choose what makes you happy, and remember your results don't define you. Oh and for goodness sake don't stay up all night refreshing UCAS, it really doesn't open until tomorrow morning at 8am! #admissions #highereducation #ucas #proudtobentu #clearing #alevel #resultsday

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Three key insights on AI’s role in shaping the future of education

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Worth Reading: This article examines the role of university leadership in supporting funding applications, identifies funding opportunities emerging from relationships and networks, and discusses the services provided by research support offices. https://lnkd.in/e7jEVuHv

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This is an interesting blog from the Staff and Educational Development Association blog https://lnkd.in/eF3jZvTz How much does our academic CPD offer address these issues? How does the whole academic community learn from and value the different perspectives of its members?

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We work as a trusted partner with university careers teams delivering change. ‘Put simply, Gradconsult instinctively get the HE careers sector! They understand our challenges and work collaboratively to get the best outcome for all concerned.' Dr Stephen Boyd, Director of Careers and Employability at Manchester Metropolitan University We work on lots of different types of projects; anything from a full careers service review or strategy development to projects focused on a more specific area of your work, for example: student engagement, embedded employability, peer to peer delivery, placements, or graduate attributes. We can also provide detailed research reports and produce independent project or service evaluations. https://lnkd.in/gTsERWTK

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Are you a business looking to innovate, boost productivity, and gain a competitive edge? Join us at the UWS KTP Associate Seminar 2024 and discover how Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) with University of the West of Scotland can transform your business! 📅 Date: Monday, 1st July 2024 🕒 Time: 0900 – 1300 (including lunch and networking 📍 Location: UWS Paisley Campus, Paisley, PA1 2BE https://lnkd.in/eCRUH5BV ✅ Learn from successful KTP projects: Hear from businesses that have thrived through their partnerships with UWS. ✅ Network with industry leaders and academic experts: Build connections that can propel your business forward. ✅ Discover how to secure funding to support your innovation journey. ✅ Meet talented KTP Associates: Find the right expertise to drive your projects. The KTP program bridges the gap between academia and business, enabling access to emerging knowledge, cutting-edge research and development resources. Whether you're a startup or a well-established company, there's immense potential for growth and development through KTP. Don't miss this chance to see how a partnership with UWS can benefit your business. #Innovation #BusinessGrowth #KTP #UWS #KnowledgeTransfer #Networking #IndustryPartnerships #ResearchAndDevelopment #BusinessEvent UWS KTP Centre

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A huge thank you to everybody who completed my survey a few weeks ago. I promised I would share my results, so here they are. The non-scientific approach to my survey is completely recognised but you may still be interested in the results! How do you think the circumstances of higher education institutions will change over the next 6 months? -> UK respondents overwhelmingly expected things to get worse (50% a little worse, 26% much worse). 20% thought things might stay about the same. -> South African conference delegates in the room thought that everything would remain much the same. How do you think the circumstances of higher education institutions will change over the next 5 years? -> An interesting split in the UK respondents. Just over half thought that things would get worse (25% a little, 27% much worse); but 43% thought things would get better. -> South African delegates mainly expected more of the same here, but about 10% of the room were more optimistic and about the same proportion were more pessimistic. What do you think is the biggest opportunity for the higher education sector at the moment? -> UK respondents pointed primarily to the potential change in government, but also to opportunities created by new ways of working (e.g. AI) and new ways of teaching & learning. There were also some votes for further internationalisation and links with industry; degree apprenticeships were also suggested. 3 colleagues thought there were no opportunities and we're completely doomed. -> None of the South African delegates sensed impending doom; opportunities were seen in the professionalisation of academic administrators; and for some universities increased international activity & partnerships. We didn't talk too much politics, despite the elections happening this week. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the higher education sector at the moment? -> For the UK, almost everybody pointed to the funding model and structural/macro finance issues. A sizeable minority suggested government rhetoric and/or policy wasn't helpful. Some colleagues were more inward-looking; e.g. commenting on our overreliance on international students, change capabilities, and leadership. -> For South Africa, challenges were seen around corruption and squeezed funding - and on the professional services side, a lack of recognition of their professionalism and associated problems with salaries, progression etc. Thanks again to everybody who helped - this gave me a great way to compare and contrast the two sectors with support from Association of Higher Education Professionals and Association of Academic Administrators.

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The highlight for me is they are students with special needs. I am excited about their inclusion in food projects. Children in Nigeria with special needs should also be exposed to similar projects that can enable sustainable development through agriculture. Their creative skills should be showcased. They are a part of the creative economy in many terrains. Thank you for sharing HRM - KABIYESI. I can relate with this post. I learnt to farm in secondary school - Federal Government College Odogbolu in the same neighbourhood with Mayflower - founded by Sir Tai Solarin of blessed memory. I heard Mayflower planted what they ate. That was a different level. Babcock University, also in the same neighbourhood is keen on agriculture not just as courses but for feeding and earning incomes. There was a workshop recently on Land Use Change and the Resilience of Farming Systems held on 10th July, 2024 at Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State. Can you imagine a ten year old using a hoe and cutlass for the first time? Now its really funny thinking about it. I was excited initially, then tired, then the blisters and came the tears 😢. Practice made me perfect and I am glad it happened. l can still use a hoe and cutlass effortlessly. I have to find a way to teach my son, thinking about it. Agriculture is still compulsory for those in junior secondary school in Nigeria, sadly many schools do not have the land to farm. In S-TEE School in Festac, we had to make space for farmland to plant vegetables, yam, plantain etc. There are a couple of animals we breed - goats, rabbits, chicken and tortoise. Schools without lands to farm in the cities can plant in bags and buckets or create some space regardless of how little to teach the students farming across different levels, whether compulsory or not. Farming and gardening can be fun but most of all, it can curb hunger and poverty. Subsistence farming should never be out of fashion for countries in Africa. Africa can feed Africa on large scale farming and subsistence farming 🚜

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In addition to the ones mentioned below, you might want to try our short #course #climatesolutions #climateaction, #free if completed within three weeks: https://lnkd.in/eKgwY6mU

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