New opportunity for students to do good as part of their course

NUS has launched a brand new programme called Dissertations for Good, connecting students to off-campus organisations to complete research into sustainability together.

While at university, 63% of students have taken part in formal volunteering. Ninety-five per cent of those were motivated to do so by a desire to improve things or help people. The major barrier was a lack of time due to study pressures (“Bursting the Bubble: Students, Volunteering and the Community” 2010).

Now, through Dissertations for Good, students have the opportunity to do good as part of their course. According to Jonathon Porritt, writer, broadcaster and commentator on sustainability and Chancellor at Keele University, it is “a really neat little project…just one of the ways in which NUS helps students to make an impact on the world around them.”

The programme partners students and organisations to complete a research project together. The student leads on the research, developing their communication, project-management and organisation skills. They then make the report available to the organisation, who can use the results to answer their questions or plan their future direction.

The only condition is that the research must be related to sustainability – be that environmental, economic or social. Other than that, the student and organisation can develop whatever project is going to most suit both of them, with help from the student’s supervisor to ensure it is suitable for their dissertation module. 

With your EAUC membership you are now entitled to a 10% discount on your DfG membership. Just make sure that you confirm you’re an EAUC member and that you heard about DfG through our comms to be eligible!

We all know that education is a social good. With Dissertations for Good, we can take that idea even further, ensuring that education can also provide social good for organisations.

Find out more below.