Knowledge Exchange & Impact Away Day 2017

The School of Social Work & Social Policy held a successful and highly stimulating Knowledge Exchange and Impact Away Day on 28 March. The School came together for day of reflection and sharing of KE experiences, practices and challenges. Co-organised by Professor Laura Piacentini, Director for Research & Knowledge Exchange and Dr Neil Quinn, School Lead for Knowledge Exchange, the event generated much discussion on KE and impact sustainability in times of national, European and international uncertainty.

A number of dynamic, thought-provoking and cutting/edge case studies were presented on subjects as diverse as prisoners and bereavement (CYCJ), future EU strategies on child protection and deinstitutionalisation beyond Europe (CELCIS) and gender based violence on university campuses (ESHE). In addition, this well attended event benefitted hugely from input from all our colleagues working in the research fields of children, young people and families, health and well-being, criminal and social justice and citizenship and communities.

Part of the day was devoted to impact, how colleagues move research to impact, how we can support established impact, and grow impact emerging. We heard from two colleagues who are breaking new ground in delivering impact in community and social justice and in citizenship and migration research.

Speaking about the event, Laura Piacentini commented:

This was a fantastic and very well attended event where we came together as a school to have considered and, at times, frank conversations about how our work connects and coheres with non-academic audiences. The sheer scale and quality of KE work across sites and places as diverse as the Occupied Territories of Palestine to our very own university campus is testimony to the commitment, expertise and passion colleagues have for reaching communities across the world and across multiple constituencies.

Equally impressive is the range of social science research methods used and innovative new methods and practices that colleagues are developing as they engage in KE. As a school, we will continue to develop a profile of research related events that bring us together in a connected, reflexive, critical and supportive way in order to grow and strengthen our work with diverse social groups, practitioners, agencies and government and professional bodies.