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

A team work on a research project round a table

The power of participatory podcasts as a research method

Instead of seeing podcasting as an alternative output, producing a series with a group of youth curators helped Abigail Harrison Moore and Lauren Theweneti understand how significant it can be for participatory research

Abigail Harrison Moore, Lauren Theweneti

University of Leeds, Sheffield Hallam University

Young man trekking in Tasmania, Australia

From island to screen: marketing the campus experience to future students

When competition to attract students comes from other institutions, not just in your region but around the world, universities need effective marketing tools and a targeted message to stand out

Courtney Geritz

University of Tasmania

A teacher mentoring a student

A recipe for effective undergraduate research mentorship

Strategies for giving effective feedback, addressing common challenges and fostering a supportive and productive mentor-student relationship

Jamie Gilbert Mikell

Athens State University

Hands type on a laptop

Anatomy of an academic book proposal

Pitch your book to publishers with an irresistible proposal. Here are all the elements you’ll need

Richard Baggaley

University of Westminster

A woman gives a talk to a room of colleagues

A practical guide to better public speaking: part two

The second in a two-part series, here’s how to hone your public speaking skills, using the three Cs

Anna Christodoulou

University of Westminster

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THE podcast: the benefits of citizen science and community-engaged research

Two leading academics explain why everyone benefits when researchers look beyond academia to seek greater understanding and new knowledge alongside the broader public or affected communities

Chris Lintott, Neeli Bendapudi

University of Oxford, Penn State University

A woman on her phone posting to social media

An academic’s guide to Bluesky

With many HE professionals making the switch to Bluesky, here are the steps you need to take to get started

Wahiba Chair

University Canada West

An academic edits a research paper with a red pen

The pros and cons of peer reviewing

Weighing up whether to take on the role of peer reviewer? Arina Ziganshina draws on her own experience to outline the upsides and downsides

Arina Ziganshina

Dubai Medical College for Girls

A pile of novels in a library

Using literature to increase students’ empathy

Asking students to reflect on emotions through literary works can enhance their empathy. Here are some tried and tested methods

Rouli Esther

University of Indonesia

A speaker stands at a lectern with a microphone

A practical guide to better public speaking: part one

Getting through long, not-so-interesting talks is a common experience in academia. But if we all agree it can be done better, how can we start delivering better presentations?

Anna Christodoulou

University of Westminster

Frankenstein's monster

What Frankenstein’s monster can teach researchers about the dark side of ‘impact’

What can a 19th-century novelist tell academics about research ethics? Taking time to see the impact of research on ourselves is a good place to start measuring the social good of scholarly endeavours, writes Jennifer Allsopp

Jennifer Allsopp

University of Birmingham

A group mediation session

Setting up an in-house mediation service at your university

Want to prevent conflict escalation? Make mediation a “first resort” option

Carol Platts

University of Manchester

A student using their phone

How universities can use research to develop effective digital products

Tips on developing a user-led digital approach at your institution, based on the University of Exeter’s success

Helen Cocks, Amelia Johnson

University of Exeter

A tutor helping her postgraduate students

How can we better support our postgraduate students?

The challenges postgraduate taught students face are different from those of their undergraduate counterparts. Here are some ways to help them overcome them

Ellen Bell, Kelly Edmunds

University of East Anglia

Lots of social media users in a grid

We should be using social media more to understand students

How to use netnography to improve communication with prospective and current students

Alex Fenton

University of Chester

Clapperboard

Using documentary film to communicate your social research

Film can humanise your research and make it accessible to an audience beyond your field. Here are five key takeaways from our experience of bringing sociology to life

Rosalind Edwards

University of Southampton

A female student working on her laptop

How can we use microlearning to enhance university teaching?

What are the benefits of microlearning and how can institutions ensure their courses suit the needs of digital natives?

Robert A. Phillips

University of Manchester

A student at her laptop with earphones on

Key strategies for successfully marketing an online course

Highlighting multimedia aspects, networking opportunities and the value of your course’s credential value are some of the ways institutions should be marketing their online education offering

Valeria Adriazola

Dalhousie University

Multiracial group of students

‘The experience of mixing with peers from other schools and engaging with university life is transformational’

By building a bridge between high school and university, outreach teams can foster aspiration and provide tangible pathways for students who might not otherwise pursue higher education

Gillian Lavercombe

University of the West of Scotland

Female lecturer speaking to students at the front of class

Low-cost ways to support women academics

Offering mentorship opportunities, supporting peer groups and addressing bias are some of the ways institutions can support women academics

Asri Saraswati

University of Indonesia

An artist in her studio

It’s time to rethink creative industries employability

Employability is often a conversation for or about students, but what if we asked them about their future hopes? How might we co-design employability provision in times of crisis?

Emma Coffield , Katie Markham

Newcastle University

A student typing on their laptop with images representing study and AI superimposed over the top

Promoting ethical and responsible use of GenAI tools

How can we encourage staff and students to use generative AI in ways that do not threaten an institution’s ethics or academic integrity? Read the University of Exeter’s take

Kelly Louise Preece

University of Exeter

Cut out figures of heads and shoulders connected by a web

Time to switch? A university’s guide to Bluesky

Bluesky’s growth offers academics, departments and institutions the chance to build engaged communities. Here are some tips on setting up a profile

Ned Potter

University of York

Close-up portrait of Tui - Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae - a famous New Zealand endemic honeyeater with yellow pollen on the forehead, in a blurred green background, in New Zealand

Dreaming of tuī returning to campus

Collaboration between community groups, local government and university students has improved bird nest survival rates exponentially as part of a broader biodiversity plan. Here is how one university is bringing native fauna back to campus

Seamus Moran

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

A teacher shaking hands with a student in class

Let me introduce you to the art of saying hello

A creative introduction sparks engagement, builds rapport and creates an atmosphere conducive to learning. Here are ways to make a good first impression

Vik Perez

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

podcast graphic

THE podcast: what makes an award-winning academic, university or project?

We speak to past THE Awards winners to find out about the work for which they and their institutions were recognised

Roderick Watkins, Mark Brown, Joanne Pledger, Ruth Spencer

Anglia Ruskin University, Royal Holloway, University of London, University of Central Lancashire

A student standing outside campus thinking

How can we make HE more accessible for those with criminal convictions?

Students with criminal convictions are often left out of higher education widening participation efforts. This resource challenges the narrative and offers strategies to support them

Jayne Price, Paul Taylor

University of Chester

Young student smiling with laptop

Walls into walkways

Access to library spaces in preparation for exams is helping Dublin secondary school students find a pathway into university. Here’s how DCU Library has made them feel welcome

Aoife Murphy, Nuala Murray, Angela Laddaga

Dublin City University

A police offer

Influence social change with your research by building relationships

Researchers from Edinburgh Napier University needed to form relationships with a range of people when evaluating Police Scotland’s use of the drug naloxone. Here’s how they did it

Peter Hillen, Inga Heyman

Edinburgh Napier University

College students in library

Building a university library service where everyone feels welcome

Practical actions and meaningful community engagement can support libraries’ work to be more equitable, inclusive and sustainable. Here are ways to get started

Tracey Stanley, Sara Huws, Susan Cousins

Cardiff University

Black and Asian researchers working in a lab

Media training can combat low BME representation in academia

Advice from Imperial College London’s new media training academy to help BME researchers build their profiles and increase the reach of their research

Maxine Myers

Imperial College London

A surgery takes place in an operating theatre

How we used data to reveal the extent of sexual misconduct within the UK surgical workforce

The Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery’s Breaking the Silence report hit the front pages after exposing the extent of sexual harassment among surgical staff, even taking place in operating theatres. Here’s how data were key

Carrie Newlands

University of Surrey

University of Glasgow campus

Co-creation as a model for estate redevelopment

Campus redevelopment can offer an opportunity to reframe the ‘ivory tower’ image of a historic campus, without losing its sense of history, place and academic distinctiveness. Here’s how to bring in diverse stakeholder perspectives

Anton Muscatelli, Frank Coton, Karen Lee, Nicola Cameron, Moira Fischbacher-Smith

University of Glasgow

A student filming himself speaking to camera

How small university marketing communications teams can make a big impact

Aligning comms with brand identity and recruiting alumni are among several ways lean marketing communications teams can boost their institution’s profile

Ellie Campbell, Kate Stanbury

London Metropolitan University

Ulster University Belfast

A new university campus as a springboard for regeneration

The development of a new Ulster University campus has been a powerful driver for regeneration and community engagement in North Belfast. Vice-chancellor Paul Bartholomew explains how

Paul Bartholomew

Ulster University

Student athlete with a gold medal

Using sports storytelling to raise an institution’s profile

How the University of Stirling leverages student athletes’ stories to create impactful content and drive engagement

Greg Christison

University of Stirling

An underwater scene

Sharing shipwreck stories to rewrite maritime history

The story of the Gloucester shipwreck was too important to stay submerged. Here’s how academics, museum curators and the discoverers of the Gloucester wreck brought it back to the surface

Claire Jowitt

University of East Anglia

A Black man has his blood pressure taken

‘You can change the world with a haircut’: engaging communities at risk

With Black and minority ethnic communities disproportionately affected by high blood pressure, academics found innovative ways to reach them. Here’s how to launch a community outreach programme that works

Nicola Thomas

London South Bank University

Students standing and chatting outside of a campus building

How unlocking data maximises student support and success

See how using sophisticated dashboards and targeted interventions can enable institutions to deliver personalised, preventative, proactive and predictive student support

Aleata Alstad-Calkins

University of Roehampton

Boy receives immunisation from medical professional.

Knowledge exchange as a driver of better health outcomes

A model for how universities can collaborate with public or private sector organisations and community groups to co-develop solutions to local problems

Amina Ismail , Vicki Doyle

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

LSHTM Tavistock Place

Construction with the local community: how to manage estates projects in a built-up area

Dedicating resources to community engagement from the start is a key investment for the success of estates projects and future relationships

John Starmer, Vicky Ratcliffe

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Engage Involve

A student withdrawing money from an ATM

Make money management matter: five rules for cost-of-living communications

A finalist for THE’s Outstanding Marketing/Communications Team of the Year award shares strategies for leveraging data and insights to help students better manage their finances

Lauren Phillips

University of Leeds

High school students in laboratory

Encouragement and talent development for future scientists

Secondary students need access to practical laboratory experience and career guidance. Mamta Sharma explores ways to introduce budding researchers to the lab setting and broaden scientific horizons

Mamta Sharma

Wellcome Sanger Institute

Students holding their graduation caps in the air

Working with local authorities to support asylum seekers into HE

How institutions can partner with local authorities to provide English language support to asylum seekers and refugees who wish to pursue higher education

Gabrielle Smallbone

Kingston University

Online student studying at her laptop

Bringing the human touch into the virtual classroom

Personalising learning experiences and building trust are just two of several strategies outlined in this resource aimed at helping teachers build supportive online learning environments

Lauren Flannery

University of East Anglia

A teacher reads a story to her primary school class

An on-campus primary school helped to enrich the community and embed social responsibility

Establishing a university primary school made a difference in the local area and sparked a sense of social responsibility in students. Andrew Lenehan explains how he did it

Andrew Lenehan

Manchester Metropolitan University

Four students sit on a grassy lawn

How to cultivate a green campus: the journey to carbon neutrality

Achieving carbon neutrality is not an easy task but it is a necessary one. Here are four strategies to achieve it

Kay Choy, Jimmy Lam, Kenny Chan

Hong Kong Baptist University

Young male Asian graphic designer working

Fostering a start-up culture among academic staff

An environment of entrepreneurship that supports academic staff will, in turn, have a positive impact on start-up-minded students. Here, Gavin Clark outlines five approaches

Gavin Clark

University of the Arts London

Members of the Network for Persons Affected by NTDs in Liberia.

Lessons for co-producing research with affected communities

Advice on meaningfully engaging with diverse communities to co-produce research, drawn from a project looking at treatment for neglected tropical diseases in Liberia

Rosalind McCollum

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

The evolution of a paper plane from crumpled to flying form

Ways to enhance your institution’s change agility

How to involve and empower staff to make changes that can have a big impact on their roles and the institution as a whole

Kristy-Jai Chantrey

The University of Newcastle, Australia