ÌÇÐÄTV

This opening plenary explored the transformative impacts of engagement for ÌÇÐÄTV’s research, teaching, and partnerships with communities. Bringing together voices from across the University and the region, the panel reflected on how meaningful collaboration shapes knowledge, enriches education, and delivers real-world benefits. From patient and public involvement in research, to cultural partnerships, to student-led engagement, the discussion highlighted both expected and unexpected impacts, and considered what it means for ÌÇÐÄTV to be a truly engaged university.

Panellists included:

Chair - Cliona Boyle, Head of Research Impact, Research and Impact Services

Sophie Staniszewska, Professor of Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement and Experiences of Care, ÌÇÐÄTV Medical School

Paul Roberts, Arts Manager, ÌÇÐÄTV District Council

Rachel Walsh, UG Student, ÌÇÐÄTV Mathematics Institute

Kulbir Shergill, Director of Social Inclusion, Social Inclusion Group

Catching up on the Q&A

The panel have kindly taken the time to respond to some of the questions that came in via the online Vevox link. You can catch up on their responses .

Below is a drawing that captures elements of the discussion that took place during the panel.

Facilitated by the WIE Team

This session was an opportunity to find out more about WIE Fellowship. We covered what WIE does overall, what being a Fellow involves and how to get stuck into the life of the Institute. We also looked at what our Learning Circles offer and how to join or start a new Learning Circle. You can find out more about WIE Fellowship and our Learning Circles at the links below.

Facilitated by the WIE Team

This session introduced key concepts from public engagement theory that can support with good practice. From understanding your purpose to tailoring for your audience, we highlighted the important questions to consider when designing and developing public engagement activity and the value of this to both individuals and the institution. We also discussed the support available to get involved with , wherever you are on your engagement journey.

Below is a drawing that captures elements of the discussion that took place during this session.

Facilitated by Rebecca Morris, Daeun Jung, Geoff Lewis, Wendy Ramku, Education Studies, and Briony Jones, Politics and International Studies

This interactive session introduced a new research and engagement project exploring local and regional research and knowledge exchange collaborations aligned with ÌÇÐÄTV’s civic university mission. The project investigated how universities and communities can work together more effectively, ethically, and creatively to ensure that research delivers meaningful, sustainable benefits for their region.

Drawing on mapping exercises, discussion events, interviews, and focus groups, the study supports co-creation approaches that strengthen research use and evidence-informed partnerships between ÌÇÐÄTV and local community organisations.

The session engaged participants in a series of discussions and activities centred on the concept of the university as a civic 'anchor institution' (Goddard, 2016). It provided space to share diverse experiences and perspectives from academic and professional services colleagues, as well as partners beyond ÌÇÐÄTV. Together, we explored the practical realities of building reciprocal and equitable research and knowledge exchange partnerships, highlighting both the opportunities they present and the challenges they entail.

Participants were invited to contribute insights that will inform the next stages of the project, supporting ongoing engagement and data collection within the university and with non-academic partners across our local and regional communities.

Facilitated by the WIE Team

This event allowed colleagues of all levels of experience across the faculty to meet and share experiences of public engagement. Following a mind mapping exercise, we launched into a moderated discussion exploring colleagues’ understanding of, experience with and plans for public engagement - and aimed to understand any barriers there might be. We also discussed existing and emerging methods to better support PE work.

Public engagement through podcasting – insights from a staff-student collaborative project to introduce podcasting to an existing module

Stephanie Schnurr and Duncan Lees

This session shared insights based on our experiences of redeveloping an existing PGT module to focus on public engagement, through the introduction of podcasting as the main form of assessment. We highlighted the potential impact of podcasting on teaching, learning, professional development and public engagement, and talked through how we redeveloped our module through a WIE-funded collaborative project involving staff, PGTs and PGRs. This included giving practical tips on how to implement podcasting as a form of assessment, and how to enact genuine staff-student co-creation. We also included the voices of our students to highlight the many benefits for using this kind of public engagement as an assessment form.

Co-production of Case-Based Learning Materials for BSc Health and Medical Sciences

Dawn Collins and Hollie White

Case-based learning (CBL) forms the pedagogical foundation of the BSc Health and Medical Sciences at ÌÇÐÄTV Medical School, fostering critical thinking and interdisciplinary problem-solving throughout the curriculum. In our final year capstone module, Advanced Cases, we elevate this approach through an innovative twist: students transition from CBL participants to creators, developing their own cases for the summative assessment, which presented the opportunity to integrate public engagement into the assessment.

WIE funding enabled us to pilot the incorporation of public engagement into this creative assessment, allowing student to consolidate their subject knowledge alongside development of transferable design and communication skills to create cases based on the authentic patient voice and lived experience. In this session we discussed approaches to embed public engagement as part of summative assessment and the future direction of travel.

Facilitated by the WIE Team

This session was an exploration of projects funded through the WIE Collaboration and Co-Production Fund. We shared some of our Collaboration and Co-Production Fund films and heard from previous awardees about their projects.

Kate Owen, ÌÇÐÄTV Medical School, Mohamad Alobeid and Geoff Manns, Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, Members of the Coventry refugee community health champions

This session walked participants through the stages of our partnership, sharing what we have learnt along the way. At each stage of the journey we paused while participants worked with a member of the refugee community on their table to help develop their own ideas for partnership working- either in education or research.

Below is a drawing that captures elements of the discussion that took place during this session.

Yurong Tian, Energy and Sustainability Team

Events are one of the most visible ways universities engage with students, communities and partners, yet the environmental impact of how events are run is often overlooked. This interactive workshop explored how embedding sustainability into event planning can create positive impact far beyond the event itself.

Drawing on the University of ÌÇÐÄTV’s sustainable events guidance and real practice, participants reflected on events they organise or attend and consider how small, intentional choices can influence behaviour, demonstrate values, and strengthen public engagement. Through discussion and group activities, the session positioned events as moments of leadership and learning that deliver real-world impact.

Participants left with practical ideas, increased confidence, and awareness of existing tools and support to help them embed sustainability into events in ways that are achievable, visible and meaningful.

From Module Development Fund to Module Delivery Fun

Sophie Martucci and Christine Lockey

The School of Life Science have developed a new Science and Public Engagement module for second year undergraduate students using the WIE Module Development Fund. This talk shared how the module was co-creatively planned, developed and delivered to 80 undergraduate students including a collaborative Museum Activity Delivery Day.

Sophie Staniszewska, Helen Luckhurst, Helen Wheatley, Felicity Boardman and Kirstie Haywood

This session presented our ambition to develop a One ÌÇÐÄTV strategy for public, patient and community involvement in research. It provided an opportunity for our community within the University and externally to identify what it needs in order to achieve this ambition and embed collaboration at the heart of research.

This session was part of Research Culture Week

Facilitated by the WIE Team

This was an informal discussion of public engagement in the Science, Engineering, and Medicine Faculty. There were lightning style talks from across the faculty to kick the discussion off, followed by discussion about challenges, opportunities, and the opportunity to meet new faces.

Managing stakeholder relationships in a public engagement initiative, a case study involving The School of Modern Languages and Cultures and Coventry Cathedral

Orla Whelan-Davis, Zhiqiong Chen, and Cathy Hampton

This talk discussed how The School of Modern Languages, in collaboration with Coventry Cathedral, chose a theme for their engagement activities, managed their project, challenges they faced and benefits and outcomes for their stakeholders. You can find out more about the activities they ran for their project on their website:

Sustainable community engagement at The Roman Baths

Meliha Hussain-Marchbank,

The Roman Baths has a diverse and successful community engagement programme, with sustainable partnerships and relationships at its heart. This ranges from a programme for people seeking refuge to health and wellbeing initiatives. They want to authentically reflect the needs and wants of community groups and do so through co-produced sessions and activities.

This session explored how their priority of sustainable programming produces beneficial long-term impacts for both the organisation and for community groups. This included sharing challenges faced and how programmes are tailored for different audiences.

Facilitated by the WIE Team

Whether you want to collect simple feedback, get people's thoughts on a future project or conduct some impactful evaluation, designing good questions is absolutely essential.

This session illustrated how you can design questions to illicit reliable data for whatever purpose you need it. We discussed common pitfalls with question design, provided checklists to take away and there were also some quiz type elements to help this take root in attendees brains. We also covered the very basics of analysing results from your questions.

Jamie Ormes and Martin Price, Regional Strategy Team

How do you measure ten years of trust?

In this session, we deconstructed the report on the Canley-ÌÇÐÄTV partnership to understand the "Canley Perspective." We also examined the qualitative realities of long-term engagement. Through a series of collaborative exercises, attendees considered the methodology of ‘doing things with us and not to us!’.

Facilitated by the WIE Team

This session invited all colleagues from the Faculty of Social Sciences to discuss their experiences with public engagement and their plans for future public engagement activities. The session was also an opportunity for colleagues from the Faculty of Social Sciences who are interested in public engagement to better know each-other.

Beyond Giving: How Our Philanthropic Campaign Strengthens Student and Community Impact

Rebecca Buckingham, Head of Campaign Planning & Performance, Rosalyn Forbes, Head of Philanthropy, Carol Fryer, Volunteers Manager, Development and Alumni Engagement team

The Development and Alumni Engagement team hosted a session that aligns closely with this the theme of the 2026 conference, Impacts from Engagement.

We explored how our philanthropic campaign activity, philanthropic partnerships, and volunteering programmes generate meaningful impact - reflected in the broader, long term effects our work has on students, graduates, community partners, and regional collaborators.