The University of Bedfordshire has opened an interactive exhibition on the Luton campus to showcase the value and breadth of its research.
Available for students, staff and campus visitors to view and explore, ‘Made at Bedfordshire’ celebrates the University’s invaluable research and demonstrates the impact it has on communities and individuals.
The exhibition features interactive QR codes throughout which viewers can scan to access podcast episodes, video content, interviews and additional information to supplement each case study further.
Professor Andrew Church, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation, said: “This is not research as you might find at other universities – it is research Made at Bedfordshire!
The University is committed to working with some of the most vulnerable groups in society and the case studies featured in our campaign are reflective of our values, showcasing how research conducted by universities can bring immediate and applicable benefits to our region and beyond.”
Research at the University of Bedfordshire is not just limited to academics, with students able to partake in funded research studies and get involved in projects as part of a Research Degree.
Professor Church added: “We hope that our ‘Made at Bedfordshire’ campaign and exhibition will instil a sense of pride in our students and inspire them to consider the Masters by Research and PhD opportunities available to them, right here on campus.”
Each case study featured in the exhibition illustrates the difference which university-based research conducted by the University’s nine research institutes can make in the region, wider UK and internationally. From social work to engineering, from education to health, each example explains the impact it has made.
Research projects from the Institute of Applied Social Research (IASR) showcased in the exhibition include the development of a new policy to help reduce teenage pregnancy rates in the UK, and the creation of a framework for assistant the resettlement of young offenders upon leaving custody.
Dr Helen Beckett, Director of IASR’s Safer Young Lives Research Centre, said: “It’s fantastic to see the IASR’s wide-ranging and important work being highlighted in the ‘Made at Bedfordshire’ campaign. We are very proud of the applied nature of our work and the many ways in which it is contributing to meaningful changes to people’s lives, through improved understanding, policy and practice.”
Research conducted by the Centre for Research in English Language Learning & Assessment (CRELLA) featured in the exhibition include the improvement of language assessment testing for international university students, and the conception and development of a ‘socio-cognitive framework’ for language assessment in the digital age.
Professor Anthony Green, Director of CRELLA – which cemented its ‘world-leading’ rating in this year’s REF21 results – said: “I’m very excited by this opportunity to showcase the outstanding work of the CRELLA team through the exhibition. I’m sure this will inspire more students to get involved in research and to appreciate what it contributes to the university and our community.”
The ‘Made at Bedfordshire’ exhibition will be open in the Gallery Space on the ground floor of the Campus Centre, Luton, until June 2023.
A digital version of the campaign booklet and further information can be found online: www.beds.ac.uk/news/made-at-bedfordshire
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