Philosophy and Religious Practices Case Studies
Research-led Reform of the Church of Scotland
Dr Doug Gay's research into ecclesiastical history directly led to the May 2019 adoption by the governing court of the Church of Scotland of a ‘three-year Radical Action Plan’. The plan’s measures, based on Gay's research recommendations, amount to a comprehensive reform aimed at halting the declining membership and influence of the Church. Change encompassed structures, training, strategy, finances and mission, in what constitutes the most substantial re-organisation of Scotland's largest Church since 1929, fundamentally reshaping an institution with GBP120 million turnover and 330,000 members across 1,341 congregations, in Scotland and abroad.
Academic: Rev Doug Gay
Partner: Church of Scotland
To learn more about this project or to discuss developing a partnership with the College of Arts please contact Dr Fraser Rowan the College of Arts Knowledge Exchange and Impact manager by email or phone (0141 330 3885).
Autonomy and Quality of Life in Palliative Care
Research by Colburn and Corns has helped to enhance and protect autonomy for the dying in the following ways:
- Supporting progress in political and legislative processes in Scotland towards facilitating choice and respecting autonomy at the end of life
- Improving policy, practice and evaluative frameworks at the PPWH hospice, Glasgow, which are used by 140 hospice staff and 600 volunteers, and benefit many of the 1200 new patients and families the hospice works with each year
- Use of the research by practitioners at PPWH to develop training and CPD materials now being disseminated and used internationally, initially in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Academic: Prof Ben Colburn, Dr Jennifer Corns
Partner: The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice, Scottish Parliament cross-parliamentary working group on End of Life Choices
To learn more about this project or to discuss developing a partnership with the College of Arts please contact Dr Fraser Rowan the College of Arts Knowledge Exchange and Impact manager by email or phone (0141 330 3885).
Using immersive technology research and collaboration to catalyse creation and development of an SME
UofG research into Virtual Reality (VR) and its pedagogical value helped create and transform tech start-up business Sublime Digital, leading to rapid growth and over £700,000 government investment for design and delivery of 10 VR learning environments and their innovative data-gathering platforms. Responding to Covid-19 constraints, this UofG/Sublime project, Mobius, shifted from teaching in VR labs to project Edify, enabling delivery of a VR experience without students needing VR equipment, using software like Zoom. Edify attracted £1.3million additional investment, further transforming Sublime, and was rolled out in Autumn 2020 to 26 UK HEIs and 27 HEIs across 5 continents. Sublime sold 60 commercial licences by the end of 2020.
Academic: Prof Fiona Macpherson, Dr Neil McDonnell
Partner: Sublime Digital
To learn more about this project or to discuss developing a partnership with the College of Arts please contact Dr Fraser Rowan the College of Arts Knowledge Exchange and Impact manager by email or phone (0141 330 3885).
Transforming self-understanding of people with aphantasia and hyperphantasia through research-based communication, engagement and community-building
Interdisciplinary collaborative research, with Fiona Macpherson contributing philosophical research expertise, has investigated the extremes of the visual imagination spectrum, e.g. the complete inability to visualise (aphantasia), and extremely vivid imagination (hyperphantasia), which each affect 2-3% of people. Effective public engagement activities prompted over 14,000 people who experience these unexplored conditions to contact the project team. These people’s lived experiences have been changed, both through learning what is different about their mind from others’, and from the knowledge that others are like them. Because of this, a supportive online community of interest has been established. An art exhibition, workshop and conference have supported people’s changed self-awareness and built a supportive community sharing an uncommon lived experience.
Academic: Prof Fiona Macpherson
Partner: Eye's Mind project, Aphantasia Awareness
To learn more about this project or to discuss developing a partnership with the College of Arts please contact Dr Fraser Rowan the College of Arts Knowledge Exchange and Impact manager by email or phone (0141 330 3885).
Influencing HIV policy
Julie Clague, a lecturer in the College of Arts, researches the response of faith-based organisations to health and development in order to help increase the dialogue between these and secular organisations. As part of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI), Clague has worked with the UN to examine the link between faith, maternal health, and HIV/AIDS development work. Clague was a consultant for the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance on the subject of the response to HIV at their meeting in Geneva and advised the Head of UNAIDS on his speech to the Vatican AIDS Conference.
Since 2000, she has been a member of the HIV/AIDS Advisory Group of CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development), encouraging discussion and international collaboration. Through her research, Clague has educated staff and influenced HIV policy. In this way, Clague helps to empower Catholic responses to HIV.
Project Partner: United Nations, UNAIDS, CAFOD
Academic: Julie Clague
To learn more about this project or to discuss developing a partnership with the College of Arts please contact Dr Fraser Rowan the College of Arts Knowledge Exchange and Impact manager by email or phone (0141 330 3885).
Establishing professional competency standards for NHS chaplains
Heather Walton, an academic in the College of Arts, contributed to the first competency framework for healthcare chaplains in the UK. Chaplains of all faiths are employed to offer care and compassion to patients, staff and others within the (secular) NHS.
The framework (‘Spiritual and Religious Care Capabilities and Competences for Healthcare Chaplains’) was taken up by NHS Scotland, England and Wales, changing the ways of working of the 3-4,000 full- and part-time chaplains as well as having an impact on their patients and other members of staff in NHS hospitals. Walton’s influence is particularly evident in the framework’s focus on four key domains including reflective practice, which is her specialism.
Project partner: NHS
Academic: Dr Heather Walton
To learn more about this project or to discuss developing a partnership with the College of Arts please contact Dr Fraser Rowan the College of Arts Knowledge Exchange and Impact manager by email or phone (0141 330 3885).
How might we partner with your organisation?
Using the six themes below, explore a range of short case studies that will give you an insight as to how the College of Arts collaborates with partners outside of the university.
No time to explore? Use keywords to get to your area of interest in our case study database.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of developing a project (no matter how early stage or loosely developed) with the College of Arts please contact Fraser Rowan, details opposite.
Contact:
College of Arts Knowledge Exchange & Impact Manager
6 University Gardens, Room 202, Glasgow, G12 8QH
0141 330 3835