Cristina Devecchi, Author at Efficiency Exchange

Role: Editor In Chief at Efficiency Exchange - Centre for Citizenship, Enterprise and Governance

EDITORIAL. Never Alone: Universities’ key role in supporting students’ wellbeing and mental health

Cristina Devecchi - 31 January 2018

Among the many issues universities are currently concerned about, students’ mental health and wellbeing have become a core concern. According to a YouGov’s survey (2016) a quarter of our students suffer mainly of depression and anxiety, or, mostly, both combined. The need to perform, financial worries, and being in a different and new social environment can all contribute to making students feel overwhelmed at times. The IPPR study Not by Degrees (Thorley, 2017), however, paints an even more disturbing picture.

Reclaiming efficiency as value co-creation: Blockchain for an inclusive university landscape

Cristina Devecchi - 12 December 2017

Times of change require new ways to think, but also new ways to capture what we do and its impact. In this blog, our Editor-in-Chief sets the scene for a series of blogs focused on the use of Blockchain as an innovative tool to answer some of the challenges universities face in showing they are ‘value for money’ and ‘value for students’.

Events

5-6 October: AURIL conference, Bristol

Efficiency Exchange - 8 June 2017

This conference will explore how universities are using their global networks and partners to achieve more far-reaching knowledge exchange impacts and create new international business partnerships in other regions of the world.

10 October: Higher education conference and exhibition, London

Efficiency Exchange - 13 July 2017

This year’s event will tackle the challenges and opportunities that come with increased competition and choice in the sector off the back of momentous higher education reforms. Delegates will gain an exclusive introduction to the Office for Students, learn how to establish their institution as an international brand, debate the drive for digital in the sector and identify ways to enhance the student experience.

The Sensory Study Room at the University of Warwick

Laura Waller - 6 February 2018

Supporting our students’ mental health and wellbeing requires both a wider strategic approach and attention to the needs of individual students. Laura Waller shares with us how the Sensory Study Room in the Library at the University of Warwick has managed to create a dedicated and accessible study space.

Five research equipment booking systems reviewed

Daniela Duca - 21 April 2017

Last year Jisc began looking for the best way to show use and sharing of research equipment across the UK. The search uncovered a number of web apps and systems that already collect data on usage, and drive efficiencies in this area. They're primarily used by researchers, principal investigators and lab technicians across a number of institutions. Daniela Duca has been looking at five of them in more detail.

Smart procurement can save thousands of pounds

Measuring, tracking, agreeing and banking procurement benefits

Jim Reed - 12 December 2016

Procurement teams can play an important role in releasing savings to help to reduce budgets in higher education institutions or to bank and reinvest. But Jim Reed, who has held senior procurement roles in a number of sectors, argues that there is room for improvement in how universities measure the benefits they secure.

Discover and share good practice for smarter working universities

Cristina Devecchi