University of Birmingham launches new Student Knowledge Exchange Project

The University of Birmingham, in partnership with Keele University has launched the ‘Student Knowledge Exchange Re-imagined’ project.

With funding from the Office for Students and Research England, the ‘Student Knowledge Exchange Re-imagined’ project will see the two universities work together to remove barriers to engagement between students and organisations.

The project will support students to gain knowledge and experience with internships and enterprise activities.  Support will also be on hand providing expertise to students on starting their own business, whilst also informing curriculum design that embeds student knowledge exchange. One of the many outcomes of the project will also be the development of an evaluative framework tool to analyse the impact of student-led knowledge exchanges, which will be produced in collaboration with City-REDI.

Sue Welland, Deputy Director for External Engagement at the University of Birmingham’s Careers Service Careers Network said: “We are really excited to be able to bring knowledge exchange to life for our diverse student and graduate populations. Gaining internships and developing entrepreneurial skills are key whilst at the same time we can really support communities and businesses by providing solutions to challenges and problems.”

The ‘Student Knowledge Exchange Re-imagined’ project will provide the following support:

• Local Internships for International Students - Through West Midlands based internship opportunities, this project will connect international students who possess valuable language skills and insight into non-UK cultures with employers who can benefit from cultural knowledge exchange.
• Bespoke Virtual Internships - The project team will be working closely with employers both globally and within the UK to create bespoke virtual internship opportunities for students and recent graduates.
• Enterprise Activities – A wide range of activities will be implemented such as virtual boot camps in partnership with key businesses, ‘Knowledge for Work’ workshops, and other enterprise challenges that students will be able to get involved in by providing sustainable solutions to challenges currently faced in the world of work
• Impact Measurement Tool – The project will develop a tool to evaluate the impact of knowledge exchange activity on students, businesses and civic organisations with support of Santander Universities, the tool will be piloted with selected universities and organisations.

The project website will be regularly updated with announcements, events and milestones. 

For more information or interviews, please contact: Hasan Salim Patel, Communications Manager (Arts, Law and Social Sciences) or contact the press office out of hours on +44 (0)7789 921 165.

The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 6,500 international students from over 150 countries.