Vertically Integrated Projects Tackling Sustainable Development Research

“Vertically Integrated Projects” (VIPs) is an innovative style of research-based teaching and learning conceived by Prof Ed Coyle from Georgia Institute of Technology.  As a key member of the International VIP Consortium, consisting of 29 Universities worldwide, the University of Strathclyde has adopted this teaching method and uniquely aligned this with research challenges underpinning various SDGs as we seek to inspire, educate and equip a new generation of graduates to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing our global society.

At Strathclyde the “VIP for Sustainable Development” programme is credit-bearing, and embeds SDGs in undergraduate curricula across our institution by aligning student research teams with specific SDGs; allowing us to mobilise our undergraduate student community and engaging them directly in SDG research and outreach activity.

Supervised by academics, teams are comprised of students from across all faculties (i.e. multi-disciplinary) and all years of study (i.e. vertically integrated). This approach allows students to remain research-active throughout their University careers, working with others from different year groups and disciplines to tackle long-term and ambitious research topics within the context of the SDGs. The programme also links research and teaching with outreach to deliver immediate and lasting impact in target communities at home and abroad.