Our themes

Theme 1: Health and wellbeing

A healthy and fulfilling life for everyone

From leading a university and government task force looking at drug use and mental health among students to our UKRI funded research to save premature babies, we support the radical transformation of health policy and approaches to its delivery.

We meet the changes needs of the future by investing in VR and AR to teach healthcare skills for the NHS in revolutionary new ways and using AI to make global health systems more resilient to threats like pandemics.

On our international campuses, we co-lead with our students to educate, innovate, and promote wellbeing across mental, physical and social health, like our collaboration to improve access to disability and mental health support for global majority students.

We work as a connected learning community towards our vision of a healthy life for everyone, across all of society.

Rethinking drugs and alcohol interventions

Effective drugs prevention policy and practice makes a real difference to the futures of young people in the criminal justice system, however there has been limited research and guidance. Our Drugs and Alcohol Research Centre (DARC) team lead the EU funded EPPIC project to address this gap and make recommendations for health, prison and social workers who help young people.

Now DARC are continuing this work in the UK with Change Grow Live - 1625 Outreach. Their latest project looks at how outreach support can change behaviour, and in turn help us find the best ways to reduce illegal drug use.

This work is lead by DARC, with partners including Public Health England, United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute and WHO.

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Theme director

Liza Marzano
Professor in Psychology

Theme 2: Inclusive culture and enterprise

The power of entrepreneurship and creativity

We are proud to educate and support the next generation of entrepreneurs and creative talents to make their contribution to an equitable future, through initiatives like the Enterprise Development Hub in London and the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Dubai.

Our work is at the intersection of business, culture and creativity, including our partnership with Film London and the Mayor of London’s Creative Skills Academy to help more Londoners find work in the screen industries.

We show the way for business with research into transformations for how individuals and communities work, like championing the Living Wage in the UK and improving protection for whistle blowers internationally.

We champion creative culture and the arts because they make all of our lives better. Our students engage with academic practitioners, professional and industry leaders to improve their practice, learn about the sector and make career-starting connections, like through our innovative LinkedIn mentoring.

Building innovative partnerships with creative industries

Our unique relationship with Canon UK, leading provider of photography equipment, is designed to help our creative students at the start of their professional careers. Students have exclusive access to the latest products while Canon is able to test new models with future industry leaders. Canon also share their expertise and professional networks so students can make important contacts.

This new model for engaging students with industry brings benefits to both partners by combining Canon’s philosophy of working together for the common good with our forward-thinking and inclusive approach.

The partnership is lead by Dan Sosnowski, Head of Technical and Teaching Resources for the Faculty of Arts and the Creative Industries.

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Theme Director

Kurt Barling
Professor of Journalism (Practice)

Theme 3: Sustainable communities

Supporting sustainable global development

We support women in Pakistan to create sustainable incomes through traditional crafts, help older people living in London to make alternative energy and work with people around the world, in response to the urgent challenges of climate change and inequitable production and consumption.

Globally our expertise influences economic, social and environmental policy and practice, like our work with the UN to safeguard the rights of indigenous people. Locally we get out into our community to provide sustainable food and to measure air pollution. On our campuses we set examples for other universities in carbon management and share our knowledge across sectors.

By embedding the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals on our courses, we train the next generation so they’re ready to meet tomorrow’s sustainability challenges in the workplace.

Tackling unsustainability in global fashion

The environmentally and socially destructive practices of global fashion - from high water consumption to unfair labour practices - present an important challenge for our researchers who work on global sustainable development.

Their work is giving a voice to local communities in India and Bangladesh to help find better ways of working for the UK fashion and textiles industry. Starting from the bottom up and looking at what's happening on the ground, we're bringing together suppliers with UK buyers, we’re aiming to reduce waste, give people better livelihoods and healthier ecosystems.

This research is lead by the Centre of Enterprise, Environment and Development Research (CEEDR).

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Theme Director

Johan Siebers
Professor of Philosophy