Middlesex University
Financial Statements 2016/17
Review of operations
Research and Business Knowledge Transfer
The Knowledge Transfer (KT) office has worked with a number of businesses, government and community groups this year to focus on how the work taking place within the University can make an impact and benefit those outside of it.
Engaging students and the community Associate Professor Dr Julie Haddock-Millar worked with global non-profit Youth Business International to explore the impact of volunteer business mentoring on young entrepreneurs, while The Power to Change Trust Research Institute commissioned a report from the Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research on the role of community businesses in providing health and wellbeing services.
The Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies joined forces with Europol to produce the ‘Youth Pathways into Cybercrime’ report, and the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre continues to address human rights awareness in former Soviet Union countries through training, litigation support and advice.
In the sciences, much knowledge exchange work has focused on using scientific understanding for public benefit. The CLEAR application (developed in collaboration with researchers from King’s College London and Goldsmiths University) evaluates stress in work contexts and was made available for use by the Western Health & Social Care Trust. Product Design course leader Wyn Griffiths has continued work on SMASHfest, which aims to widen participation and build diversity in science, technology and maths through the arts.
In arts research, highlights include a project with Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust to produce films and apps for visitors to their historic sites, and the Revolution Farm Education Resource Pack and Drama Workshops produced for the Royal Docks Trust. Amanda Sleet coordinated sensory craft workshops for people with brain injury, with the help of Ajahma Charitable Trust.
While Middlesex University’s knowledge exchange activity continues to contribute to and engage with society, it is vital that research benefits students. This has been an important focus in recent months. Students were involved in shaping applications developed by the POSEIDON project, an attempt to use the principles of ‘smart environments’ research to design assistive technology for people with Down’s syndrome and their carers. Moving forward, the University will be looking for new ways to engage students in knowledge exchange.
Overcoming the EU challenge
Despite much success, developing knowledge exchange activity has been challenging, and is likely to remain so. The University’s private and public sector clients (particularly for contract research, consultancy and CPD) face uncertainty in many areas, such as Brexit and indirectly with interest rates, if businesses are unable to secure funds for investment. This, combined with sluggish grown in the macro economy, makes it hard to win knowledge exchange work. In EU knowledge exchange funding, there have been challenges around UK contributions to some of the biggest programmes of the Commission not being welcomed by EU partners, and this is expected to continue until 2019.
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