Helen Lau will start her new role as Director of Business Engagement and Research Impact (BERI) and Deputy Director of the Research Strategy and Services Division (RSSD) in April 2024. Helen joins the University of Birmingham from Coventry University, where she is Associate Director of Knowledge Exchange. Her award-winning work has led to real-world change, including supporting research that has shaped international environmental policy at COP 26, 27 and 28, and – most recently – winning the Times Higher Education Awards’ Knowledge Exchange Initiative of the Year.
“I am thrilled to be joining the University of Birmingham. Business engagement, knowledge exchange and research impact are critical to a thriving research and innovation ecosystem, and Birmingham has a fantastic track record in this. I look forward to working with new colleagues from across the University, and with external partners, to ensure that the University’s world-class research continues to transform the lives of people around the world.”
A knowledge exchange and research impact leader, Helen has two decades of experience, predominantly in the West Midlands. In her current role, she has grown and maintained Coventry University’s excellent reputation for knowledge exchange and built a diverse portfolio of business engagement projects and programmes, including through KTPs and SME support programmes.
I am thrilled to be joining the University of Birmingham. Business engagement, knowledge exchange and research impact are critical to a thriving research and innovation ecosystem, and Birmingham has a fantastic track record in this.
Helen Lau
Dr Catherine Cochrane, Director, Research Strategy and Services Division said: “Helen’s appointment as our new Director, Business Engagement and Research Impact, is hugely positive for the University and our many external partners. Meaningful collaboration with a wide range of organisations is critical to the ongoing success of our research, and to its impact regionally, nationally, and internationally. Helen’s wealth of knowledge and experience, and her commitment to achieving effective and inclusive change, will ensure that our research impact and innovation continues to flourish, and grow.”
Engagement and impact is one of the six pillars of the University of Birmingham’s 2030 Strategic Framework. The University’s Business Engagement and Research Impact team contributes to these ambitions, brokering collaboration between academics and industry partners to generate world-leading research and impact.