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 Sticky Campus”; improving our students’ sense of belonging through active learning, coffee and...

Alastair Robertson - 10 January 2018

2018 promises to be an exciting and challenging year for universities and the Higher Education sector. Among the many less than positive news, there are also successful practices that make our universities stand out in the way in which they support their students’ experience, widen access and participation, and support their mental health and wellbeing. The ‘Sticky Campus’ at Abertay University is one such example. As Robertson explains and describes, the concept is simple and yet complex in its operationalisation.

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.

Efficient universities: are mergers really the answer?

Jill Johnes - 15 November 2016

As demand from students grows and competition between institutions increases, some have predicted that universities will respond by seeking to achieve economies of scale. Jill Johnes looks at the evidence that higher education mergers can help universities use resources more efficiently.

Discover and share good practice for smarter working universities

Cristina Devecchi