Developing Community Partnerships
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Knowledge is more than just the research produced by universities; a vast diversity of knowledge exists in the lived experiences of every person.
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Community-University Partnerships (CUPs) are mutually beneficial relationships between universities and local community groups. Rather than a top-down model of communicating information, CUPs are equal partnerships built on mutual respect, and emphasise the sharing and co-creation of knowledge between each participant.

At the core of Proteus’ research is people’s health and well being. CUPs break barriers between researchers and local communities, and open up dialogue that brings value to both the community and academics. By building collaboration between universities and wider publics, knowledge can be shared and created. Local, experiential expertise may help drive and define research practices, while knowledge produced by academics can be incorporated into communities to enact social change.

In September 2017, Proteus opened a new, semi-permanent exhibit at the Glasgow Science Centre, showcasing our research to the public. We are keen to form strong partnerships with local community groups in and around Glasgow to encourage dialogue around our research.

We hope that these partnerships will enable us to co-create engagement projects that will draw on the expertise of both academics and community groups, and be mutually beneficial for all involved.