The new normal for UK higher education in the Built Environment – academic and industry leadership in a time of crisis

Authors: Aaron Gillich, Sorcha Redmond

We face multiple crises, the convolution of which creates a staggering challenge for the Built Environment. This opinion paper argues that this challenge will be answered by leadership in academia and industry through new and more profound collaboration.

Higher education is increasingly regarded as a value proposition, and the rise of Degree and Higher Apprenticeships are further intertwining education and practice. The public health crisis due to Covid-19 will drive hybrid delivery models and force a rethinking of curricula. But the greatest crisis is global climate change. The UK has laudable climate goals but few practical plans to back them up. This is not a simple policy fix, but rather a supply chain issue. It is a challenge of scale.

This opinion paper will review and discuss examples of academic and industry collaborations and argue that such partnerships are one of our strongest tools in responding to these crises and rapidly transforming the Built Environment at scale.