Research

In line with our strategy, one of the EAUC's goals is to facilitate research and knowledge exchange.

To facilitate post-16 education in laying the foundations for a sustainable future, we recognise the need to drive for continual improvement and innovation in the sector and more widely. The EAUC will harness our members' wealth of experience and knowledge to ensure the ongoing creation and dissemination of information in sustainability.

We aim to be a platform for research, thought pieces, best practice guides and innovative resources.


Our most recent research:

Living Labs Research: A Revolution for Post-16 Education

It is time for collective action. If we are going to reduce the ever-increasing pressure on university and college academics, researchers, students and professional staff, we need a better way to collaborate.
 
The EAUC has launched its Living Labs Research. A university or college Living Lab is where real-world institutional problems are addressed by new dynamic partnerships between all the institution's stakeholder groups. A Living Lab facilitates a bridge of collaboration which liberates intellectual potential to address its own practical challenges. Surprisingly, a Lab does not necessarily demand significant additional resource, but simply helps to identify and redirects existing ones.



Research overview:


Living Labs Brief: What are they? And why are they crucial for post-16 education?


To understand more about the Living Lab's place within a post-16 institution:

A Revolution for Post-16 Education - Part 1: A Case for the Living Lab

To engage with the background of the Living Lab's research: 

A Revolution for Post-16 Education - Part 2: How do Living Labs Work? 

 

Next Generation Sustainability Strategy and Structure 

As universities and colleges reflect on their contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and question how to advance on their journeys towards sustainability, the concept of a whole-institution approach is gaining substantial interest. With a variety of interpretations emerging, the means of their implementation can be numerous and diverse. The EAUC commissioned the research paper ‘Next Generation Sustainability Strategy and Structure’ to show members the current sustainability landscape of tertiary education.

Read the full report here and the case studies here.
 


EAUC launches new research on sustainability reporting tools

The EAUC has released new mapping research that looks at the wide ranging sustainability reporting tools available to UK post-16 education sector.

Navigating through the increasingly complex landscape of sustainability reporting tools often seems a daunting task. In response, the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) has initiated this project to help sustainability professionals critically evaluate those tools and facilitate their institutions’ orientation in sustainability assessment and reporting. The mapping also helps providers see which areas of sustainability their tools cater for and if there are any areas within their tool that could receive more attention.

Read the full report here.

 
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