Impact of Leeds Beckett University’s partnership work celebrated in the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF)
The strength of Leeds Beckett University’s partnership work has been recognised by the fourth national Knowledge Exchange Framework – with the University placed in the top 20% of universities in three categories.
Research England has published its updated KEF4 today (Wednesday 18 October), which examines how well English Higher Education Providers exchange knowledge and expertise to make a positive impact on the economy, place, and civic life.
Leeds Beckett University is in the top 20% (a standing of Very High Engagement) nationally for Working with Business, Working with the Public and Third Sectors, and Research Partnerships. LBU also moved up to the second highest category (High Engagement) for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Graduate Start-Ups.
Professor Silke Machold, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Leeds Beckett University, said: “We are very proud to be nationally recognised for our work with business, the public and third sector, and our research partnerships – and to have increased our standing in three areas since last year’s KEF. Working in partnership to make positive and decisive changes to people, organisations and communities is at the heart of our research and knowledge exchange, and we are delighted to see this recognised in the national KEF.”
The University’s research partnerships span areas of world-leading academic expertise – including Sport research, spanning areas such as Applied Rugby Research, Social Justice, and the Centre for Human Performance, supporting elite sportspeople and endurance professionals; the Leeds Sustainability Institute, the collaborative multi-disciplinary Obesity Institute and the Centre for Dementia Research.
Leeds Beckett University is in the top 10% of universities in the UK for the size of its Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme – and is currently delivering 20 KTP projects. This year saw the University’s first KTP with a public sector business, YORHub, get underway.
Leeds Beckett University has a strong business support portfolio, including the Government-supported Help to Grow: Management course, the Business Productivity Service and West Yorkshire Business Boost programmes in collaboration with West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and Exemplas, Innovative Entrepreneurs (funded by WYCA and delivered in partnership with 12 universities and businesses), and #WECAN (Women Empowered through Coaching and Networking), supported by Lloyds Bank.
Leeds Beckett University opened The Knowledge Exchange two years ago. The Knowledge Exchange is a professional city centre space for collaboration, co-creation and innovation – and an open door to access university knowledge, expertise and talent, and build a long-term relationship with the University.
Events and workshops taking place within The Knowledge Exchange this year have included Leeds Beckett’s Policy Week, Help to Grow and #WECAN sessions, Living Lab Business Support Masterclasses in collaboration with Leeds City Council, and knowledge exchange sessions with academics ranging from the future of retail to artificial intelligence.
Earlier this year, Leeds Business School launched the new Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange – which combines research, business support and engagement with student enterprise and learning.
KEF aims to improve the status of knowledge exchange and provide the public with information on the rich and diverse ways English universities continue to engage with society and the economy, locally, national and internationally. The Framework compares institutions on a like-for-like basis, with similar institutions being grouped together with their peers in ‘KE clusters’. Leeds Beckett University is in Cluster E, described as large universities generating excellent research across all disciplines.
The full dashboards are available on the KEF’s interactive website (from 12:00 on Wednesday 18 October).