Summary

The ‘Concordat for the advancement of knowledge exchange in higher education’ (KE-C) was published by Universities UK (UUK) in April 2020. It operates alongside the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) to provide a mechanism via which universities, their partners, funders, and the public can understand the KE performance of the sector generally and of individual universities specifically.

The university is a signatory to the concordat and is committed to its eight guiding principles:

• Mission

• Policies and processes

• Engagement

• Working transparently and ethically

• Capacity building

• Recognition and rewards

• Continuous improvement

• Evaluating success

Following a self-evaluation and gap analysis we have identified five priority actions, designed to improve the quality of knowledge exchange at the University, these being:

1. Having a dedicated KE statement, to complement our existing strategic framework to provide a clear statement of intent for internal and external stakeholders, prospective partners, and funders.

2. Launching a dedicated KE portal that will provide one easy point of access for key stakeholders, partners, and funders.

3. Developing a new KE Code of Practice, clearly outlining the University’s principles of engagement with regards to KE and the ethical standards that it expects from its staff, students, and partners.

4. Developing and launching a new internal framework for the development, delivery and nurturing of strategic business partnerships

5. Providing the opportunity to give our staff dedicated time to undertake impact activities.