UCL

Money from the Beacons for Public Engagement scheme has allowed UCL to set-up a Public Engagement Unit with three staff, who help colleagues across the University to widen and improve their public engagement work.

Our programme builds on UCL's existing strengths in working with the public, and happens alongside cultural shifts in other parts of the University, which are increasingly focussing on our local communities, London and UCL as a Global citizen.

We work to identify the barriers to UCL staff working with the public, and then to dissolve them. We fund projects, assist staff applying for external funding, support new networks of engagement practitioners, develop embedded training programmes, and run a small number of our own projects.

Perspective on the first year of activity from Steve Cross, the UCL beacon director.

The partners in UCL's work under the beacon's umbrella are the British Museum, the South Bank Centre, Birkbeck College, Cheltenham Science Festival, Arts Catalyst, and City and Islington College. Each of them contributes to our programme differently, and UCL staff often work in combination with two or more of them.

Contact UCL beacon team at publicengagement@ucl.ac.uk