We are currently seeking institutions across the UK to take part in the third year of our SHAPE Sustainability Impact Projects initiative, an applied learning opportunity for students from the arts, humanities and social sciences. Staff from each participating institution will pitch real-world local sustainability challenges to interdisciplinary teams of their students who will then work over the following months to problem-solve these challenges, with support from SOS-UK and the British Academy.
The project is collaborative initiative between the British Academy and SOS-UK which uses an applied learning ‘living laboratory’ model to demonstrate the importance of the arts, humanities and social sciences in generating sustainability solutions. After a successful pilot in 2020-21 and an even more successful Phase II in 2021-22, we are excited to be launching Phase III for 2022-23 and we are seeking 3-4universities to take part this year!
The project aims to engage students and academics in realising the relevance and impact of their disciplines in tackling environmental, social, and economic sustainability challenges. Students’ and academics’ own institutions, as well as the local community, will serve as the testbed for their ideas, enabling an understanding of the impact of their field of study in a local and hands-on context. The project adopts British Academy’s use of the term SHAPE to describe Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for the People and the Economy/Environment. Project outputs will offer tangible examples of how students from these disciplines can, and are, demonstrating this.
Why take part?
- There is no cost to institutions or students for participation, the project is fully funded by the British Academy.
- Institutions and students will receive support and training provided by SOS-UK (including building and maintaining links with the local community and applying different disciplines to sustainability solutions).
- Institutions and students will also receive project-based support to maximise the impact of projects and develop student skills, which will be bespoke and reactive to the students’ project plans (such as team work, monitoring impact, presenting findings).
- Institutions will be supported to champion equality, diversity and inclusion within the projects (including the student recruitment phase).
- SHAPE Sustainability Impact Projects provides the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from other institutions and community organisations.
- SHAPE Sustainability Impact Projects gives students the chance to co-create solutions to some of your biggest sustainability challenges.
- SHAPE Sustainability Impact Projects responds to student demand for relevant and applied learning opportunities focusing on sustainable development.
A full overview of the project can be viewed here. Please fill in this form to express your interest in taking part andemail melanie.kee@sos-uk.org if you have any questions. The deadline for expressions of interest is EOD Wednesday 26th October 2022.
There is no cost to institutions or students for participation but spaces are very limited. We will be selecting the final institutions based on regional diversity and the potential to reach a diverse range of students from across the arts, humanities and social sciences.