RCM in top 10% among English universities for research promoting public and community engagement
Thursday 1 April 2021
The Royal College of Music is in the top 10% of English universities for research promoting public and community engagement, according to the first Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF). Run by Research England, the data gathered by the KEF informs a series of metrics that look at the performance of English universities from a variety of perspectives.
In the 2021 KEF, the framework’s premier year, the RCM scored particularly highly in the categories of ‘Public and community engagement’ and ‘Skills, enterprise and entrepreneurship’, in which it placed in the top 20%. The results reflect the myriad ways the College engages with the public, with hundreds of public-facing events each year even during the coronavirus pandemic, and its emphasis on supporting students in honing professional and entrepreneurial skills through the innovative Creative Careers Centre.
In partnership with the Tri-borough Music Hub, RCM Sparks provides wide-ranging opportunities for young people from under-represented backgrounds to access high-quality musical activities and progression. Socially engaged research projects including Health, Economic and Social Impact of the Arts (HEartS) and Music and Motherhood demonstrate the College’s commitment to understanding and promoting the vital benefits of music in society. Centre for Performance Science (CPS) involvement in projects such as the MedTech Superconnector is indicative of the institution’s dedication to pooling knowledge and connecting with industry.
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The Knowledge Exchange Framework launched in 2020 with the aim of increasing efficiency and effectiveness in the use of public funding for knowledge exchange and to further a culture of continuous improvement in universities. Participating universities can better understand their own performance, while businesses and other users will find information to help them access the world-class knowledge and expertise embedded in England’s Higher Education institutions.
Read more on the Research England website. Find out more about Research at the RCM.
