[G-04] Geoscience Outreach

[G04-04] Engaging university academics with geoscience outreach in the UK and Japan

*Vincent Tong¹, Hidenori Nakamura² (1.University College London, 2.Toyama Prefectural University)

Keywords:Research-education synergy, Informal education, Research impact, Community engagement

Geoscience outreach involves developing effective partnerships between university academics and external stakeholders. In this presentation, we study how initiatives can help incentivise geoscience researchers and educators to engage external stakeholders effectively in their outreach activities. We focus on two initiatives in research-intensive universities, one in the UK and one in Japan, and we analyse how interdisciplinarity, student involvement and research-education synergy are embedded in the approaches. First, the Connected Curriculum at University College London is an institution-wide research-based education framework, with a focus on students across different years and disciplines producing external-facing research work together with university academics as part of curriculum design. Specific examples in geoscience outreach and student-staff partnerships will be discussed in our presentation. Second, On-site Research Training for Clinical Environmental Studies, and Consulting Firm for Clinical Environmental Studies at Nagoya University involve academics, graduate students and post-doc researchers from different disciplines linked to sustainable development working together with local governments, social groups and businesses in project settings. Our presentation will compare and contrast the two initiatives, and we will conclude with key recommendations on effective engagement of university academics with geoscience outreach.

References:

(ORT) Nakamura, Hidenori; Kato, Hirokazu and Takano, Masao. 2016. "Rinsho Kankyo gaku" Kenshu no Atarashii Hakushi Kenkyu Sha wo Mezashite [On-Site Research Training for Clinical Environmental Studies: Towards a New PhD Researcher]. Nagoya koto kyoiku kenkyu [Nagoya Research on Higher Education]. 16. 39-54. URL: http://www.cshe.nagoya-u.ac.jp/publications/journal/no16/03.pdf (in Japanese)

(Consulting Firm) Nakamura, Hidenori; Yamaoka, Koshun and Horii, Masae. 2017. Rinsho Kazan Bosai Gaku no Kokoromi [Trial of Clinical Volcano Disaster Governance and Resilienct Studies]. Chiri. 62(1). 25-31. (in Japanese)

(Connected Curriculum) Fung, D. 2017. A Connected Curriculum for Higher Education. UCL Press. URL: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-press/browse-books/a-connected-curriculum-for-higher-education

(Student-staff partnerships) Tong, V.C.H., Standen, A. and Sotiriou, M. 2017. Shaping Higher Education with Students: Ways to Connect Research and Teaching. UCL Press. URL: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-press/browse-books/shaping-higher-education-with-students