Power/Knowledge Exchange

Knowledge exchange is important for the mission of universities.

Through the lens of community organising, we help build power to make univeristies and communities the place it should be. Supported by a local network and tools, you can write what happens next, and achieve more for young people. Through the building of collective institutional power in places, we can win change that we're unable to achieve by ourselves. Citizens UK's Power/KE project sees universities as important to this mission.

Power Knowledge Exchange - Communities of Practice

After a conference with 120 HE leaders from 35 universities hosted by QMUL in January 2023, we are actively supporting four HEI communities of practice.

1. Community Organising and the Civic University agenda
2. Universities and a real Living Wage
3. Curriculum development through Community Organising
4. Student Unions and Broad-Based Organising

Case Studies

Teaching

• Cardiff University - Community Jobs Compact (masters business school students)
  • https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/2397981-community-jobs-compact
• University of Essex - Democracy in Action module (final year undergraduates)
  • https://www.essex.ac.uk/news/2022/07/25/democracy-in-action-course-leads-to-real-change
  • https://www.essex.ac.uk/blog/posts/2022/07/21/transformative-teaching
• Queen Mary of University of London - Civil Society Internship (final year politics undergraduates)
  • https://www.qmul.ac.uk/politics/media/politics/documents/undergraduate/QMUL-Civil-Society-Internship-Journal.pdf
• University College London’s Institute of Education - Free School Meals for those with No Recourse to Public Funds (second year education students)
  • https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2022/apr/work-ioe-students-leads-greater-free-school-meal-access

Research

• Aston University - Local Economic and Industrial Policy
  • https://www.aston.ac.uk/latest-news/citizens-uk-seeks-work-member-organisations-build-citizens-agenda-around-local-economic
• University of Birmingham - Environmental Research and Civil Society
  • https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2021/environmental-research-playing-a-role-in-civil-society-is-key-to-success-at-cop26
• University of Nottingham / Nottingham Trent University - Misogyny as a Hate Crime
  • https://blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/newsroom/2021/07/22/violence-against-women-and-girls-is-everyones-responsibility/
  • https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news/news-articles/2021/04/what-do-social-sciences-staff-and-students-do-with-nottingham-citizens

Engagement (Civic)

• Aston University - Health Outcomes in East Birmingham
  • https://www.aston.ac.uk/latest-news/aston-university-launches-community-project-promote-healthy-lives-east-birmingham
• King's College London - Parent Power
  • https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/parent-power-wins-guardian-social-and-community-impact-award
• King’s College London - King’s Refugee Community Sponsorship Scheme
  • https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/kings-leads-universities-response-to-hosting-ukrainian-refugee-students-and-academics
• King’s College London - Latin American representation
  • https://www.kcl.ac.uk/a-voice-for-change
• University of Newcastle - Social Renewal in the North East
  • https://www.ncl.ac.uk/social-science/research/social-renewal-in-the-north-east/citizens/

Engagement (Internal)

• University of Loughborough - Collective Anti-Racist Efforts
  • https://www.lboro.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/race-equality-charter/race-equity-town-hall/