Living Lab Guide: University of Salford Case Study

Demonstrating staff commitment to creating applied real-world learning and research opportunities for students in the University of Salford Business School.

What advice would you give an institution staff member keen to get this started where they work?

“[When embedding Living Labs in taught modules it is important] … to tap into what the students really care about by leaving the assignment really open. Additionally, by inviting industry experts and various interest groups of the University to share different perspectives and challenges for sustainability, students were able to demonstrate a better understanding of the complexity of the sustainability agenda at local and global levels” – Romas Malevicius, Lecturer in Sustainability and Ethics

The Living Lab shared by University of Salford is a good example of intrapreneurship, with an academic staff member striving to find opportunities to embed Living Labs within a specific level 6 module – Business Ethics and Sustainability. The module requires students to assess how their university is responding to or tackling a United Nationals Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) of their choosing and present recommendations. The intention is for the University to use these project plans, some have been put forward.

The development of this Business module has mobilised students to realise their potential to do a lot more at university beyond their degree. During the module, students hear from professional staff at the institution, most often from the Environmental Sustainability team, but more recently the Inclusion and Diversity team has also been involved to get students thinking more widely about sustainability through consideration of pay gaps, equality and diversity.