Constructing a national higher education brand for the UK: positional competition and promised capitals

This article examines national branding of UK higher education, a strategic intent and action to collectively brand UK higher education with the aim to attract prospective international students, using a Bourdieusian approach to understanding promises of capitals. We trace its development between 1999 and 2014 through a sociological study, one of the first of its kind, from the 'Education UK' and subsumed under the broader 'Britain is GREAT' campaign of the Coalition Government. The findings reveal how a national higher education brand is construed by connecting particular representations of the nation with those of prospective international students and the higher education sector, which combine in the brand with promises of capitals to convert into positional advantage in a competitive environment. The conceptual framework proposed here seeks to connect national higher education branding to the concept of the competitive state, branded as a nation and committed to the knowledge economy

The potential of trading activity income to fund third sector organisations operating in deprived areas

In the United Kingdom, as in other countries, Third Sector Organisations (TSOs) have been drawn towards income sources associated with trading activities (Teasdale, 2010), but many remain reliant on grant funding to support such activities (Chell, 2007). Using a multivariate analysis approach and data from the National Survey of Charities and Social Enterprises (NSCSE), it is found that trading activities are used relatively commonly in deprived areas. These organisations are also more likely to attempt to access public sector funds. This suggests policy-makers need to consider the impact of funding cuts on TSOs in the most deprived areas as TSOs are unlikely achieve their objectives without continuing support

Degree and Higher Level Apprenticeships: An Empirical Investigation of Stakeholder Perceptions of Challenges and Opportunities

The aim of this paper is to explore the challenges and opportunities of designing and delivering Degree and Higher Level Apprenticeships (D&HLAs) at levels 4 - 7 from a multi-stakeholder perspective namely employers, Universities, independent training organisations and professional bodies. 27 face to face interviews were undertaken and thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. The following three themes emerged from the data analysis: programme design; programme delivery; and graduate attributes. We conclude that whilst there are increasing numbers of trailblazer groups developing higher level standards, the uptake of apprenticeships at these levels remains relatively low. Although stakeholders support the principle of D&HLAs, we identify a number of challenges and opportunities facing those who seek to successful introduction these programmes. Our policy recommendations include the need for all stakeholders to work collaboratively to co-create a flexible system to support the validity and relevance of D&HLAs. This will include streamlining and mapping the variety of qualifications currently available in order to promote a platform for parity of both esteem and opportunity for those achieving degree qualifications through the apprenticeship route

Smart citizens for smart cities: participating in the future

This paper discusses smart cities and raises critical questions about the faith being placed in technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Given increasingly challenging carbon reduction targets, the role of information and communication technology and the digital economy are increasingly championed as offering potential to contribute to meeting these targets within cities and buildings. This paper questions the faith being placed in smart or intelligent solutions through asking, what role then for the ordinary citizen? The smart approach often appears to have a narrow view of how technology and user-engagement can sit together, viewing the behaviour of users as a hurdle to overcome rather than a resource to be utilised. This paper suggests lessons can be learnt from other disciplines and wider sustainable development policy that champions the role of citizens and user-engagement to harness the co-creation of knowledge, collaboration and empowerment. Specifically, empirical findings and observations are presented from a case study of citizen engagement around an energy-from-waste infrastructure development. Recommendations are provided for engineers, planners and decision makers in order to help plan more effective engagement strategies for citizens, building users and stakeholders

The role of collaboration in the UK green supply chains: an exploratory study of the perspectives of suppliers, logistics and retailers

Many companies around the world have started to realise that working alone will not be sufficient in their move towards a greener supply chain (SC). More specifically, recent UK government regulations on implementing strict CO2 reduction encourage SC operators to work collaboratively, in production and logistics or other operations, to achieve their green objectives. In this research, we look at some underlying factors of SC collaboration, focussing on suppliers, logistics and retailers, for the purpose of improving the environmental sustainability of companies’ SCs. To facilitate our study, we conduct case studies in two overseas supplier companies with the aim of providing a better understanding of how green issues imposed by European and UK customers influence the companies’ actions to meet agreed environmental goals. Based on the initial analysis of the case studies, we develop a conceptual framework which indicates that SC collaboration plays an important role in ensuring companies achieve environmental sustainability of their SCs. Subsequently, staff in middle-management and related roles in sixteen companies operating in the UK are interviewed. This allows us to understand their business practices in terms of SC collaboration with their suppliers and buyers to achieve the goal of CO2 reduction. Finally, drawing upon the information from company reports and websites, a number of UK leading retailers’ actions to reduce CO2 emissions are investigated. We develop a conceptual framework of SC collaboration for environmental sustainability to help companies improve their level of collaboration between suppliers and buyers in terms of meeting their environmental objectives. The proposed framework will serve as a base model for the companies using or considering SC collaboration to achieve their environmental agendas, in line with governmental green regulatory requirements

Communication on Smart City Evaluation and Reporting In UK cities: Pilots, Demos and Experiments Case

Global trends towards urbanisation are associated with wide-ranging challenges and opportunities for cities. Smart technologies create new opportunities for a range of smart city development and regeneration programmes designed to address the environmental, economic and social challenges concentrated in cities. Whilst smart city programmes have received much publicity, there has been much less discussion about the evaluation and measurement of smart city programme outcomes. Existing evaluation approaches have been criticised as non-standard and inadequate, focusing more on implementation processes and investment metrics than on city outcomes and the impacts of smart city programmes. Addressing this, the SmartDframe project aimed to examine city approaches to the evaluation of smart city projects and programmes and reporting of their impacts on city outcomes. A number of ‘smarter’ UK cities were invited to participate, with agreement by city authorities from Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Milton Keynes and Peterborough to be interviewed about their smart city work. The findings provide a series of smart city case studies that exemplify contemporary city practices, offering a timely, insightful contribution to city discourse about existing and best practice approaches to evaluation and reporting of complex smart city projects and programmes

Tracking career destinations of sports graduates 2000-2015:a longitudinal exploration of destinations and preparedness for the workplace

The advent of the TEF means that universities will be expected to evidence the impact of curriculum interactions on graduate destinations and social mobility. Over a third of sport employees are graduates but little data charts their career journeys. Key objectives: • track all Abertay sport graduates from the programmes’ inception • compare Honours and non-Honours graduates’ destination data • examine career trajectories • explore preparedness for the workplace • utilise demographic data to contextualise findings. 452 graduates were e-mailed.123 responded to the survey, 84% being in identifiable graduate level jobs. Across time, increasing proportions of students were Honours' graduates. Social class, gender and disability did not impact on this but articulation from FE was a significant factor (χ2 =84.68, p<0.01). Very few respondents (n=13) felt that their degree had not equipped them for working life. 'Placement' and 'research methods skills' were of most benefit in preparing for the workplace

Employability and graduate outcomes for sports students with widening participation characteristics – an analysis of a data derived from 2000-2015

The advent of the Teaching Excellence Framework has placed increased focus on graduate outcomes, widening participation and learning gain within the Higher Education sector. However, it is acknowledged that there is an ‘unequal playing field’ with regard to graduate employment with socio-economic background viewed as the primary determinant of the graduate’s future (UUK, 2016). The authors conducted a study tracking career trajectories for those students graduating from an Abertay sports degree programme in the time period 2000-2015. These programmes were originally only offered as advanced entry routes for students with further education awards enabling them to extend their qualifications and access graduate employment. The programmes have evolved over the study period and now offer a range of entry points. This presentation will consider employability outcomes for those completing studies from ‘first in family homes’, from lower socioeconomic households, and for those who enrolled with a further education qualification

PhD synopsis: Quantifying and evaluating the risk posed to straw bale constructions from moisture

This paper provides a synopsis of the PhD thesis titled 'Quantifying and Evaluating the Risk Posed to Straw Bale Constructions From Moisture'. The thesis reviews the potential for straw bale construction to aid the construction industry in reducing carbon emissions whilst promoting social and environmental values, and decreasing the reliance on non-renewable resources. Straw is however susceptible to degradation, under certain conditions. The thesis reviews different monitoring devices and the interaction of moisture with straw and presents a three part model aimed at promoting confidence in the construction method