Public Engagement

Developing the self-confidence and skills for engaging with diverse public groups has been core to the CSCT. Using external training providers who are experts in their field, we have embedded both the theory and practice of engagement in the training undertaken by PhD students within the Centre.

This approach has resulted in a growing cohort of PhD students (over 170 so far) with experience and insight into engagement.

Peer-to-peer support within this cohort has stimulated successful pieces of work including a long-standing collaboration with graphic design students from Bath Spa University and orchestration of a ‘Stand-up Science’ series in Bath. The CSCT has won the Vice-Chancellor’s Postgraduate Prize for Public Engagement with Research or been a runner up for five consecutive years, and has been equally successful at winning or being selected for the finals of the 3-Minute-Thesis competition.

Our researchers involve young people, families and interested publics through public debates, science cafes, hands-on festival exhibits and media work.

Through our public engagement activities, our researchers have the opportunity to:

build skills for working effectively with external collaborators

develop high-quality research with real-world applications

create public spaces for discussion about the future of sustainable Technologies

Events

“We believe that engaging with a diverse range of publics in areas of technology that have a high degree of societal importance is excellent training for our PhD students.”

Professor Matthew Davidson, Director,
CDT for Sustainable Chemical Technologies

Public Engagement blogs