Geography Research Engagement and Impact
Engagement and impact have an integral place in research in Geography at Newcastle.
Unique discipline
We are a unique discipline within the University, in that our impact and engagement activities reach across the environmental, economic, social, creative, health, policy and practice sectors.
- By impact we mean the positive societal and environmental benefits that arise from our work.
- By engagement we mean the many collaborations and interactions we have with communities, publics, and our partner organisations in the VCSE, public and private sectors.
In Geography, impact and engagement have for decades been right at the heart of our research - rather than being separate, secondary or afterthoughts to our research activity. We believe that a bedrock of engagement, and trusting two-way relationships with people and organisations outside the University, make for impact that is more beneficial to all.
Our longstanding and more recent working relationships with communities, organisations and policy-makers make our research more relevant and useful in acting upon some of the most pressing contemporary issues. They also help us conduct better research with which to analyse and theorise these issues.
We undertake impact and engagement projects in numerous localities – on our own doorstep in North East England, and as far away as South Africa, Greenland and Peru. This work ranges from enhancing systems for environmental monitoring of river and volcanic hazards, to supporting efficient low-cost household energy use, to advising governments on migration, to challenging Islamophobia and gender inequalities.
Collaborative approach
We use diverse methods for impact and engagement, as appropriate to the contexts and partners we work with. Much of our practice is marked by co-production - we are committed to two-way collaborations, in some cases designing new research questions jointly, in others working closely on outputs and follow-up action with stakeholders and partners. We have a track record of developing new ways to engage. From working alongside policy-makers, to citizen science with local communities, to partnerships with charities, to collaborations with artists, to participatory action research with grassroots activists, our common goal is producing high quality knowledge together for maximum positive impact.
The project examples linked to from this page are not exhaustive, but illustrate the breadth and diversity of our recent impact and engagement work.
Lead: Peter Hopkins
Prompted by undertaking research in a high school in Glasgow, Peter Hopkins worked with Deputy Head Teacher Cath Sinclair and one of her classes to produce a student-centred research protocol called Get Your Facts Right. This was developed because students wanted to be better informed about why research was being carried out and to have a greater say in how they participate in research. While developing the protocol, the group of S4 students visited Newcastle University to talk to researchers to learn more about the research process. They then presented their finished work to officials from Glasgow City Council who now use the protocol as part of their process for granting access to researchers to undertake work in their schools. The team co-authored a piece about this process in the journal, Research for All with a key point of this piece being:
“Overall, the involvement of young people in all stages of the research process will enhance what they get out of participating and the extent to which they feel their voices have been heard”
Rising social and spatial inequalities, climate change, demographic shifts, and technological innovations have disturbed existing ideas of what ‘development’ means at the local, regional and urban scales. The need to find fresh ways to address the wicked problems faced by places that better balance economic, social and environmental dimensions has been a priority for decades. This quest for new approaches has become even more pressing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and search for economic and social recovery.
CURDS and Newcastle University worked with the North of Tyne Combined Authority to host this event with the aims of introducing the ideas and developing a geographical perspective on the foundational economy, relating foundational economy ideas to North East England and its particular economic, social and environmental development challenges, engaging with and learning from the pioneering experiences of using foundational economy approaches to policy in Wales, and discussing and debating the opportunities for sharing ideas and learning with partners from different sectors across the North East region.
Presentations and the recording of the event can be found here.
CURDS has been working with Northumberland County Council, Community Action Northumberland and local communities most notably Humshaugh Net Zero to develop tools and templates to support the identification of carbon footprints at a community level and support the development of community owned carbon reduction strategies.
Newcastle University has supported David Bradley, Mike Coombes and Hailey James to design a household survey methodology, host an online survey and produce a report summarizing the results. This work then stimulated Humshaugh Net Zero to establish and to then produce an ambitious Carbon Reduction Strategy. The work also provided the strong evidence base needed to support a successful RCEF project to identify the potential to generate renewable energy within the Parish.
Among the findings of the initial research was that households living in older properties typically had higher carbon footprints associated with their heating. Northumberland has an exceptional number of older properties and in particular of listed buildings. Current work includes supporting Northumberland County Council to identify both the scale of the problem and the potential solutions.
The RCEF supported pre-feasibility work is now complete and several potential renewable energy generation schemes have been identified. David Bradley will be supporting Humshaugh Net Zero’s Regional Renewal Fund project by acting as the project director for a series of consultancy reports, specialist advice notes and practical steps needed to get projects ready for implementation.
Find out more here.
Read the First Year Report.
Amidst the geographically uneven impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery, local policymakers’ responses to various and rapidly-changing localised economic shocks have become more important and timely. The research examined what can be done by local economic policymakers in response to economic shocks. It defined economic shocks, identified rationales for intervention and short-, medium- and long-term local policy responses, explained the ‘task force’ model, suggested things to consider for local economic policymakers, and provided references supporting evidence.
This research was undertaken by Andy Pike and was commissioned by the UKRI and UK government funded What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth. The research also provided the basis for a Newcastle University Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series (NU-KESS) Seminar involving Sally Weller (University of South Australia), Richard Baker (NELEP) and Marianne Sensier (University of Manchester).
Read the 'What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth' Policy Briefing
Policy decisions rely on the evidence from spatial data analyses, but these can lead to the wrong decisions if they do not use appropriately defined areas. The appropriate areas for economic development policy are ‘functional economic areas’ such as labour market areas (LMAs). Mike Coombes (CURDS) has provided strategic advice to Eurostat and the OECD in their recent major reviews of LMA definition methods. Both reviews subsequently recommended the method devised by CURDS – in work with the Office for National Statistics – to their member countries (whose combined GDP exceeds USD 60trillion).
- OECD (2020) Delineating Functional Areas in All Territories OECD Territorial Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/07970966-en
- Eurostat (2020) European harmonised Labour Market Areas: methodology on functional geographies with potential Eurostat Statistical Working Paper, European Union, Luxembourg https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3888793/10992115/KS-TC-20-002-EN-N.pdf/5a6258be-6c53-64fa-971c-2b19908ab442
There have been several attempts in recent years to create conceptual frameworks and models to help universities and policymakers understand the role and contribution of higher education to local and regional development. However, these models have failed to fully reflect or give insufficient attention to the impact of the regional context (economic, social, political), the policy environment for higher education and territorial development and the diversity of management and leadership structures of universities themselves. This has led to the development of static models that rarely work outside of the immediate context in which they were developed and therefore risk leading to design of policies that are not fit for purpose.
Funded by the Regional Studies Association, this project involved an international team including Louise Kempton, and explored the following questions:
- What are the different roles that universities play in local and regional development and how do these manifest themselves?
- How can we learn from comparing practice and experience internationally, and to what extent are policies aimed at promoting university-region relationships transferrable?
- What are the internal university factors, such as management and leadership, history, mission, structures, and the external factors, such as territorial development policy context, governance system, nature of the ‘place’, that might help us explain the nature of the relationship?
The findings are presented in a new book published as part of the RSA’s policy series in April 2021 Regional Studies Policy Impact Books: Vol 3, No 1 (tandfonline.com)
In their foreword to the book the OECD said:
“More needs to be done to facilitate the collaboration between HEIs and their ecosystems to ensure that their potential is maximized—and now is the time to act. This publication provides a timely boost to the urgency of generating synergies between higher education and regional development.”
Project team: Professor Alex Hughes, Dr James Brown, Newcastle University. Professor Mahmood Bhutta, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. Dr Mei Trueba, Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Dr Alex Trautrims, University of Nottingham. Rosey Hurst, Ben Bostock and Emily Day, Impactt Limited
A research team from Newcastle University, in collaboration with the Rights Lab at the University of Nottingham, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, Brighton and Sussex Medical School and Impactt Limited, a labour rights consultancy, explored the impact of Covid-19 on modern slavery in Malaysian medical gloves supply chains.
The research considered the structures and processes affecting workers in the sector during the pandemic. It looked at all tiers of the supply chain, both in Malaysia and the UK, including workers, factory managers, suppliers, purchasers and policymakers.
The insights from the research will assist policymakers in understanding the realities of the situation for workers in the Malaysian medical gloves sector. The project aims to identify practical levers for positive change by focusing on how to incentivise and implement improvements to the medical gloves supply chain. This will focus on improvements that could be taken at both ends of the supply chain. In Malaysia, particular focus will be on mechanisms improving demonstrable outcomes for workers affected by modern slavery, including education and the reimbursement of recruitment fees. In the UK, the insights will focus on recommending policy changes and improvement of procurement practices.
Read the Malaysia Research Summary
Read the Forced Labour in the Malaysian Medical Gloves Supply Chain report
Read more about this story on our Press Office website
This project was funded as part of the Modern Slavery PEC call for research on the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on modern slavery.
Lead: Peter Hopkins
Peter’s work is helping politicians, educators and voluntary organisations to better understand and tackle Islamophobia in their communities. The Scottish Parliament established its first ever Cross-Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia as a direct outcome of Peter’s research and through this group, media guidelines for journalists have been produced and a public inquiry into Islamophobia in Scotland has been conducted.
Peter’s research has also informed the APPG on British Muslim's definition of Islamophobia including the adoption of this by Newcastle City Council. He has also informed the House of Lords Select Committees on Citizenship and Civic Engagement and on Democracy and Digital Technologies. In addition, his work has led to the expansion of the anti-hate campaigning organisation TellMAMA’s regional advisory groups to cover Scotland and the North East, including a co-authored report with TellMAMA and John Clayton (Northumbria) about anti-Muslim hatred in the North East of England.
“Peter Hopkins’ research has directly led to the formation of the first ever CPG and the subsequent adoption of a common definition of Islamophobia which means we are now equipped to tackle its effects.” (Anas Sarwar, MSP 2020)
Lead: Alex Hughes
Working with colleagues at Durham University and Flower Valley Conservation Trust in South Africa, Alex’s research is empowering Western Cape suppliers and workers in the wildflower (‘fynbos’) industry to improve their position in local and international supply chains. Through the co-production of training materials and apps in (for the first time) local languages suppliers and workers are able to verify the sustainability and provenance of their harvest. This will enhance the intrinsic value of the sustainable harvested wildflowers in the supply chain. Going forwards it is hoped that this work will lead to reforms in governance and assurance that will have long-term, positive impacts on wildflower conservation and sustainability.
“The app gives you a landscape view of the property you work on – where you’ve harvested, what you’ve harvested and the quality of the harvesting. This is something we never had before. So it’s to empower suppliers and harvesters to take responsibility for their monitoring. The i-Fynbos app makes citizen scientists out of harvesters, who are responsible for capturing the data.” Kirsten Watson, Flower Valley Conservation Trust’s Conservation Manager
Led by: Andy Pike, Louise Kempton, Danny Mackinnon and Peter O'Brien
Recent research led by Andy Pike and colleagues has continued to build upon CURDS’ 40-years as a centre with a national and international reputation for research excellence and policy relevance. Since the abolition of Regional Development Agencies in 2010, CURDS’ research has been front and centre in shaping public policy debates about new approaches to decentralisation in England, the emergence of inclusive growth strategies and policies for sub-national development and growth. This work continues to impact upon policymakers centrally and locally by equipping them directly and indirectly (via think tanks and interest groups) to shape strategies to maximise their impact on people and places ‘left behind’.
“[Your work] has encouraged and stimulated helpful debate about next steps on devolution at an important time in the policy debate. Specifically, it has helped contribute to our thinking about how devolution deals are being brokered, where the policy agenda needs to go next, and emphasising the importance of engagement if the public are to feel that decentralisation works for them.” Think Tank Chief Executive, 2016
Lead: Matt Perks and Stuart Dunning
Research by physical geographers at Newcastle is helping communities and policymakers to better monitor, prepare for and respond to the effects of landslides and flood events. In an era of increasing unpredictable weather events this has helped to build resilience and plan mitigating strategies which will help to reduce the negative impacts of these occurrences on communities and the economy. Positive benefits of this work are already being evidenced through changes in Transport Scotland’s monitoring processes, Forest Enterprise Scotland’s planting planning strategies and establishment of flood monitoring stations in flood-risk communities.
Led by: Mike Coombes and Colin Wymer
Mike’s ground-breaking work in analysing commuting data from the UK Census to establish ‘travel to work’ areas (TTWA) set out the basis for defining functional economic areas that underpinned the emergence of more effective labour market policies. Mike’s approach has been adopted in many countries around the world – for example Italy is now using it to help design their industrial districts policy. Eurostat, the European Commission’s statistics agency, now promotes Mike’s methodology as ‘best practice’ across member states. Mike’s work is also helping non-governmental agencies such as think tanks (e.g. Centre for Cities) to design their own analysis frameworks and to challenge policy making that is not similarly grounded in robust evidence.
“The methodology favoured by the study for a harmonised LMA (labour market areas( method for the EU is based upon the TTWA (travel to work areas) method with some minor modifications”.
Analysis of the alternatives for the future of the Labour Market Areas. Eurostat Working Paper, October 2017
Find out more here.
Lead: John Goddard
In the wake of the Brexit referendum there is a growing awareness that many parts of the country are feeling ‘left behind’ and detached from the growth and decision-making centred around London and the South East. John’s many years of research into the role of universities in their local economies and the concept of the ‘civic university’ is helping to shape local, national and international policy as governments look to redress these imbalances. One of the many impacts of this so far has been the establishment of an independent Commission on Civic Universities led by Sir Bob Kerslake, former head of the home Civil Service. Over the coming months the Commission is expected to have a significant effect on shaping policy across several government departments and lead to increased mobilisation of universities for the benefit of their local areas. John has been appointed Vice Chair of the Commission and also been asked by the Welsh Government to contribute to a review of the civic mission of universities in Wales
For more information click here.
Helen’s research is grounded in innovative methods of engagement and co-production with non-academic partners to understand how collaborative endeavour can help shape joint action, particularly in the area of cohousing. This has resulted in a better understanding of community-led housing as a sector and formation of networks to promote it which can act as counterpoint to traditional policy responses in an era of increasing housing inequality and homelessness. This has encouraged a broad based alliance of non-profit organisations giving control back to local people as well as feeding into local and national enquiries and debates on new forms of community-led housing.
“The event was very successful and you could tell some people in the room had no previous experience or did not know what community-led housing was, but left with a decent understanding or with a sense of optimism of learning more.” (Planning Officer, Gateshead Council, 2018)
“The learning that I’ve taken back, both to our practice and to the different groups that we’ve been working with as architects has been invaluable, such as on ageing and mutual support.” (Charlie, Transition by Design, Oxford)
Leads: Andy Russell, Matt Perks, Alejandro Dussaillant (Universidad de Aysén, Chile)
Communities in areas prone to natural hazards often have little information about the human and economic losses that may occur in the event of a disaster, or the information needed to minimize such losses. This project in advanced understanding of the processes occurring in extremely dynamic river flood systems, some of which are still adjusting after volcanic eruptions. It developed a 'low cost' river monitoring toolkit for use by key stakeholders in Chile and elsewhere. This enables warnings to be provided to the authorities, for more effective decision-making and communication to local communities. This helps to prevent major damage from hazards such as lahar flows, and large-scale injections of sediment into river systems from volcanic eruptions, including destruction of homes, transport infrastructure, power plants, salmon farms and tourist businesses, as well as evacuation of entire towns and rural areas.
Led by: Rachel Woodward, K. Neil Jenkings, Alison J. Williams
Research at Newcastle on military personnel has brought sociological insights about military identities and the meaning of military participation for servicemen and women, to ongoing debates about recruitment, retention and service with the UK’s armed forces. Our work on Reservists has emphasised the need for military planners to understand the complex lives of Reservists who combine civilian employment with military service. This research has raised questions about established narratives around civil-military relationships, and has explored the reality behind assumptions about the Reserves as a means of integrating the armed forces more closely within UK civil society. Research on military personnel has also argued for the benefits to the defence community of hearing critical friends and alternative viewpoints, on issues ranging from gender issues in the armed forces, to the value of the university armed service units (OTC, UAS, URNU).
Further links:
Lead: Nick Megoran
A core component of Nick’s research and related engagement is using historical figures and events (most notably the World War One Christmas truce and the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King) to teach young people about non-violence and alternatives to violence. Nick has developed a range of teaching resources for schools and churches that have, to date, been downloaded more than 40,000 times. Another strand of Nick’s work is contesting the discourse around the Uzbek minority in Kyrgyzstan following the ethnic violence of 2010. Recent events in London and Bishkek were focused on influencing lawmakers, journalists, embassy staff and other opinion forming elites to change the narrative about the Uzbek population.
Lead: Rachel Pain
A three-year participatory action research project in the village of Horden, County Durham, tracked conditions leading to, and impacts and wider implications of, the auction of 159 social housing properties in 2016. Auctions were held at short notice and with no consultation or stipulations on purchases. Most buyers reside outside North East England, and a year later the majority of the properties lay empty, suggestive of speculative investment. The research evaluated a range of negative effects on the local community and environment, connecting the situation with national housing policy and growing divisions in housing wealth and access across the UK. The work resulted in two reports intended to inform and prevent similar disposals elsewhere in the UK. It has fed into local efforts to protect and improve the local environment, and into action on the private rented sector and poor controls on housing conditions. The project also involved collaboration with local photographer Carl Joyce and the folk band Ribbon Road, resulting in exhibitions and performances of the folk songs and photo documentary that have raised awareness of the local and national housing crisis.
“This is social housing that should never be sold at auction, and any profits should support the community that live here. It was once a fantastic place to live with a strong sense of community, and we believe that we can make that happen again. But we need time and the support of the agencies involved” (Pat Barnett, Chair of Horden Colliery Residents Association).
Further links:
eprint.ncl.ac.uk/file_store/production/244603/E919C489-0CF4-43E8-8E67-B0BD73424425.pdf
Lead: Peter Hopkins
Prompted by undertaking research in a high school in Glasgow, Peter Hopkins worked with Deputy Head Teacher Cath Sinclair and one of her classes to produce a student-centred research protocol called Get Your Facts Right. This was developed because students wanted to be better informed about why research was being carried out and to have a greater say in how they participate in research. While developing the protocol, the group of S4 students visited Newcastle University to talk to researchers to learn more about the research process. They then presented their finished work to officials from Glasgow City Council who now use the protocol as part of their process for granting access to researchers to undertake work in their schools. The team co-authored a piece about this process in the journal, Research for All with a key point of this piece being:
“Overall, the involvement of young people in all stages of the research process will enhance what they get out of participating and the extent to which they feel their voices have been heard”
Lead: Michael J Richardson
In 2017 a pilot project was funded through the school of GPS Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Committee Innovative Teaching Fund establishing a collaboration with Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books and the module GEO3135: Geographies of Gender & Generation. To date, the project has seen 137 students embark on an exploration of big geographical ideas with 120 local primary school children. This collaboration has now run for two years, with intergenerational practice workshops held at Seven Stories (2017) and in the Great North Museum: Hancock (2018).
By utilising creative learning in teaching, the project addresses threshold concepts in understanding, in this case, methods of intentional age integration (or intergenerational practice). Secondly, by working outside of traditional social science within arts and cultural spaces, this project speaks to the NewcastleGateshead City of Dreams initiative and alternative modes of arts based regeneration. The project also strengthens Newcastle University’s new strategic vision through its priorities on Engagement and Place, especially ideas of social inclusion and educational attainment.
Lead: Peter Hopkins
Peter’s work is helping practitioners in diverse fields to have greater clarity about the meaning and value of intersectionality as it is frequently misrepresented and regularly misunderstood. Peter worked with freelance animator Stacy Bias to devise that addresses the question, what is intersectionality? This video has been viewed well over 200,000 times online and is regularly used in training courses across the world. For example, it is used by the Women’s College Research Institute in Toronto as well as the University of Waterloo and York University in Canada, the Counselling and Wellness Center at the University of Florida and is included in the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Introduction to Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies. Moreover, non-academic organisations working on equalities issues have incorporated this video into their training including the Government of Ontario’s Office of Women’s Issues, Women with Disabilities Australia, Public Health Scotland, and the Victorian Government in Australia.
Gareth Powells has been working Matthew Scott of NEA, the national fuel poverty charity, to study the social and economic aspects of energy transitions involving hydrogen as a fuel for UK homes. Hydrogen emits no CO2 when burned, removes the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from homes and can be produced from excess renewable electricity, so it holds great promise for low carbon heating. Gareth and Matthew's research has identified the concerns households have about hydrogen and used theories of social practice to identify appropriate transitions pathways for different aspects of everyday life. These findings show that heating can transition using hydrogen while cooking (the other main gas-energised daily practice) can transition using electrification, thus providing a clear strategic response to energy transition challenges grounded in both social theory and detailed empirical analysis.
Read the full report here.