STEM

Resources and advice for academics and students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths

Two science students use a microscope together

For truly practical learning, embrace an interdisciplinary approach

Bringing different fields of study together into one practical assignment, focused on a real-world problem, proved to be a game-changer in a sector shifting towards interdisciplinarity. Here's how it worked

Zulkifli Merican Aljunid Merican , Lim Jun Wei

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Medical students

What skills does the 21st-century medical educator need?

A faculty development programme for instructors must facilitate more than efficient knowledge transfer. Incorporating pedagogical innovation, digital proficiency and emotional intelligence will ensure the well-being of educators and students

Miklós Kellermayer

Semmelweis University

Programmer writing code on large screens

These AI tools can help prepare future programmers for the workplace

How educators can teach programming students to use AI tools to enhance productivity

Rohini Rao

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Woman in VR headset against image of wind farm

It’s time to turn the tide on our clean energy ambitions

Universities have a pivotal role to play in inspiring the next generation to find sustainable energy solutions, from uniting researchers with business to translating innovation into practice to growing the future workforce, writes Deborah Greaves

Deborah Greaves

University of Plymouth

Physical therapist treating patient

Citizen science in biomedical engineering: rewards and challenges

Harnessing citizen science to progress research enriches our findings and leads to innovative solutions to real-world problems. Addressing the potential challenges of working with non-expert volunteers from the start makes for more effective research

Robin Queen

Virginia Tech

Detail of laboratory equipment

‘Changing the culture from academic-owned equipment to shared ownership is not easy’

With dedicated research technical professionals alongside equipment investments, universities can foster a culture of equipment sharing. Here, Sarah Bennett explains this key role in resource management

Sarah Bennett

The University of Warwick

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

Medical researchers in white lab coats

How to succeed as an early career researcher? Be motivated and inspire others

Pursuing a research career, especially in a competitive field such as neuroscience, requires commitment, early action, long-term goals and, above all, ongoing passion and curiosity about your field

András Horváth

Semmelweis University

Young female engineer with wind turbines

Equipping university students to be leaders in addressing climate change

The world is hotter today than at any time in the past 100,000 years. Tripp Shealy offers educational strategies for universities to develop the leaders needed in the critical fight for a liveable future

Tripp Shealy

Virginia Tech

A student in front of a screen coding

Eight innovative ways to teach coding online

Advice on how to create dynamic, engaging and supportive online learning environments that cater to the diverse needs of today’s coding students

Manojkumar Nagasampige

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Medical research concept

Leveraging international collaborations to tackle global health challenges

Global health challenges such as cancer demand collective efforts that transcend national boundaries. Eli Vlaisavljevich shares how he leverages international collaborations to produce groundbreaking biomedical work

Eli Vlaisavljevich

Virginia Tech

Young female scientist working in a lab

Donors want to see real-world impact. What does that mean for higher education in the sciences?

Amid academia’s challenges related to talent retention and fundraising, universities can use translational research programmes to enhance scientific edge and real-world impact, and strengthen donor relations

Shai Shen-Orr

Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Medical students in a laboratory

Learning translational medicine can make doctors more effective

As doctors must apply the latest scientific results in daily practice as soon as possible, it follows that translation methodologies should be taught to medical students

Péter Hegyi

Semmelweis University

Globe surrounded by SDG icons

Using Sustainable Development Goals to foster innovation

The SDGs offer both a universal framework and a way to incorporate global perspectives into curricula. Here are strategies for integrating their outward-focused, innovative mindset into everyday learning

Tripp Shealy

Virginia Tech

Community meeting, inclusive research

‘Doing human’: ways for researchers to make patients feel comfortable to express themselves

When patient and public involvement is done in an inclusive, safe environment, it results in more relevant, higher-quality health and social care research

Gary Hickey

University of Southampton

A doctor advising a patient

A blueprint for programmatic assessment in healthcare courses

A shift from traditional to outcome- or competency-based programmatic assessment began before the pandemic and has gained momentum since. Here are some ways to work towards it

Sreejith G

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Young woman in lab coat with tablet

Lessons in chemistry: widening university students’ participation through storytelling

Storytelling can bridge the gap between complex STEM content and student engagement – it gives learners a discovery-based approach and educators an inclusive teaching tool and means of assessment

Karen Ho

Mount Royal University

Medical researchers in white lab coats

Embracing disagreement in research co-production

Co-producing a research project is not all consensus and harmony, so these four tips will guide research collaborators in how to allow and enable disagreements and dissenting voices

Gary Hickey

University of Southampton

Colleges of Advanced Studies at Semmelweis University

How student learning communities support professional development

An effective way to nurture talent is to enable not only individual but also community learning. Here’s how the Hungarian system of colleges for advanced studies helps to train medical professionals who are also well versed in social issues

Ferenc Godó

Semmelweis University

Paper plane with rocket-shaped shadow

Streamlining a move from a faculty position to a leadership role

Moving into a leadership role at an academic institution includes setting ambitious goals around collaboration and finding solutions to worldwide challenges. These techniques can support leadership success

Brian Lattimer

Virginia Tech

Kids watching demonstration at science centre

School visits are a triple-win for academics, schools and society

For researchers, taking science into the community is an opportunity to hone communication skills, increase impact and enthuse children to pursue their own university studies, writes Ben Kennedy. Plus, it’s fun

Ben Kennedy

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

A digital projector sits in a classroom

Harness pedagogy and technology to engage students in auditing

Creating interactive auditing videos helped students contextualise a complex topic and provided feedback on their progress. Chu Mui Kim outlines how to do it

Chu Mui Kim

Singapore Institute of Technology

Students in a classroom on their laptops

Let’s play! Using games to teach statistics and economics

Incorporating games into economics classes can enrich the learning experience. Here are some of the factors to consider when designing them

Joshua Fullard

The University of Warwick

digital dentistry technician

An inter-university and interdisciplinary approach to dental education

A degree course that blends engineering and dentistry prepares students for their future practice. Here, Szandra Kormendi and Peter Hermann explain how it works

Péter Hermann, Szandra Körmendi

Semmelweis University

Young Asian scientist with test tube

Addressing the leaky pipeline in academia: strategies to attract and retain women scientists

Attracting more female researchers is one part of the work towards gender equity in science. Here, Anna Ginès i Fabrellas offers four actions to support women pursuing academic careers

Anna Ginès i Fabrellas

Esade

female student working on laptop

Using reflective practice to support postgraduate studies in the biosciences

Small-group workshops create space for postgraduate researchers to share ways to manage stress, impostor syndrome, feelings of isolation and student-supervisor relationships. Here’s how to set up a programme

Jo Haszczyn , Johanna Fish , Jennifer Tullet

University of Southampton, University of Kent

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

A group of people sitting round a laptop

Give educators the skills to bring assessment into the future

How can academics get to grips with the most cutting-edge of assessment tools? Matthew Courtney details how to educate STEM experts on modern assessment systems

Matthew Courtney

Nazarbayev University

Welcome back to the office

How to manage parental leave for university staff

Parental leave presents challenges for the parent and the workplace, writes Judith Lock. Here are some dos and don’ts for before, during and after the leave period that aim to smooth the return to work and fix academia’s leaky pipeline

Judith Lock

University of Southampton

Three young engineers in hazard gear

Steps to adapt engineering education to changing skills demands

Context-based learning, teamwork and creativity are all elements that could help engineering training respond more effectively to the needs of complex workplaces, writes Parakram Pyakurel

Parakram Pyakurel

New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering

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

Black female engineer working on a drone

How to help young women see themselves as coders, inventors and engineers

Female students can be overlooked in STEM fields. Janille Smith-Colin shares four ways to empower tomorrow’s engineering leaders to find their voice and the determination to use it

Janille Smith-Colin

SMU Lyle School of Engineering

Healthcare researcher with patient

What underpins effective patient and public involvement in health and social care research?

Is it rules or values? The two key ways to approach the art of PPI in healthcare research should come together in process, procedures and culture, writes Gary Hickey

Gary Hickey

University of Southampton

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

Students in an anatomy class at Semmelweis University

How practical education and talent management support medical students

A practice-oriented focus together with personalised talent support lead to success in medical education for local and international students. Here, Alán Alpár explains why teaching, science and patient care must go hand in hand

Alán Alpár

Semmelweis University

Mike Ibba

Campus interview: Mike Ibba of Chapman University on mentorship and the future of US science

In this video podcast Mike Ibba, dean of Schmid College of Science and Technology at Chapman University, talks about undergraduate research, what philosophers and scientists can learn from each other and the state of US federal funding for science and technology research

Mike Ibba

Chapman University

Podcast title card

THE podcast: how to do public engagement

What is best practice for universities’ public engagement? How do you enlist the public in your research? And how do you keep them interested in the long term? Two 2022 THE Awards winners share their insights – from their experiences tracking Covid and decoding Dickens

Tanya Wood, Hugo Bowles

King’s College London, University of Buckingham

Engineering student

Nurturing advanced problem-solving skills with integrated projects

Integrated projects can be a powerful tool for bolstering problem-solving capabilities and encouraging students to integrate knowledge from various courses

Man Kee Lam , Yee Ho Chai

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

College success

One write way to student success in mathematics

A detailed conversation and a letter begin a support process that can take students from repeated course failure to success and confidence. Here, Eric Grinberg explains how it works

Eric L. Grinberg

University of Massachusetts Boston

Student in chemistry lab

Messy decisions and creative science in the classroom

How can we teach students other than those studying for healthcare or other vocational qualifications to work across disciplinary boundaries and make scientific decisions in a creative – and enjoyable – manner? Here’s what we learned from running a data-driven drug-discovery scenario

Charlotte Dodson, Steve Flower

University of Bath

Student doctors practising clinical skills on a plush bear

How to teach clinical communication skills in a foreign language from scratch

This hands-on approach to clinical practice integrates content and language and enables both local and international students to acquire communication skills and vocabulary alongside activities relevant to medical practice

Katalin Fogarasi, Judit Császár

Semmelweis University

High school students in lab

A case study in developing the next STEM generation

University ‘taster days’ can introduce teenagers to what global health research and advocacy might be like as a future career. Here four academics describe a pilot training session and what they learned from it

Michael Head, Jessica Boxall, Winfred Dotse-Gborgbortsi, Kathryn Woods-Townsend

University of Southampton

students laughing in class

How to use humour to boost student understanding and foster creativity

Humour is a versatile teaching tool, explains Pete Ludovice. It’s fun, it makes the lecturer seem more approachable, helps make complex concepts relatable, shifts cognitive load, and encourages innovation in the classroom

Peter Ludovice

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Female doctor checks a woman's thyroid

A checklist for advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in medical sciences and education, part two

Three questions that medical sciences lecturers should ask when revising curricula to promote ethical considerations, an understanding of health inequities and diverse perspectives

Musarrat Maisha Reza, Mia-Rose Gillison

University of Exeter

Dentistry procedure

Lessons learned from a fellowship year as a dentist and early career researcher

Winning a fellowship as a dentist and spending a year in Graz as an international scholar not only taught me about the profession but also fostered my self-awareness, writes Dániel Végh

Dániel Végh

Semmelweis University

School girls take part in activities at the Digital Divas conference

What is needed to run a successful outreach programme?

Lessons on running a successful outreach programme designed to spark school pupils’ interest in university, based on a 13-year project focused on getting more girls studying STEM

Bia Hamed

Eastern Michigan University

A diverse group of medics sitting through a seminar

A checklist for advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in medical sciences and education, part one

Three questions that lecturers in medical sciences should ask when revising their curricula to promote diverse representation and health equity

Musarrat Maisha Reza, Mia-Rose Gillison

University of Exeter

virtual mentoring

How mentor and mentee can help each other

Mentorship is a symbiotic relationship. Here, two scientists look at steps in the meeting process and benefits from both sides

Greta Faccio, Maria Koumouri

Independent academic, University of Cyprus

Statue of Isaac Newton

Inclusivity versus devotion to the cult of STEM

Is an underlying global STEM culture of devotion getting in the way of a more inclusive academy, asks Andrew Pye

Andrew Pye

University of Exeter

Young woman studying

How to promote primary interest in basic medical education at the undergraduate level

A major challenge for educators is to present the theoretical beauty of medicine to students who have a broad spectrum of prior experience, ability and motivation – whether their interest is clinical or theoretical

Attila Mócsai

Semmelweis University