Kingston University teams shortlisted for three University Alliance Awards

Posted Monday 29 July 2024

Three teams from Kingston University have been named a finalist in this year's University Alliance Awards.

The prestigious awards celebrate the work of staff, students and teams at institutions who are members of the University Alliance. Each award recognises a person or team who have made an outstanding contribution to professional and technical higher education, in line with University Alliance's core values.

Among the shortlisted teams is Kingston University's Digital Psychology Team which is in the running for the Innovation Award. The team is behind the development of a virtual reality intervention that is designed to offer crucial support to children who have undergone trauma and to reduce their risk of developing mental health issues. The Digital Psychology Team came up with the solution after recognising there is a lack of effective support for traumatised children, including those who have been forced to flee their homes due to violence, persecution or war.

Using a virtual reality headset, children are exposed to psychological theory driven content, including cognitive behavioural therapy, and play and art activities. The virtual intervention has been co-designed through focus groups with psychologists, practitioners, parents and children. It has undergone rigorous testing with children in the UK and the Gaza Strip, as well as with refugees in Germany and the Netherlands. Available in English and Arabic, the intervention has demonstrated it is effective in reducing mental health issues including post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, and depression, and enhancing emotional regulation and recognition.

Some of the Digital Psychology Team. Front row: Dr. Vedad Hulusic. Back row from right to left: Dr. Aiman El Asam, Professor Muthanna Samara, and Meggi Bacikova. Dr Basel El-Khodary and Alaa Albawab also form part of the team.The project was carried out with the support of the creative technology department at Bournemouth University and the department of psychology at Islamic University of Gaza in Palestine.

Project lead and Professor of Psychology Muthanna Samara stressed being named a finalist in the Alliance Awards is a collective team effort. "This recognition celebrates our team's achievement in pioneering a state-of-the-art virtual reality intervention," he said. "I am incredibly proud of our team's outstanding dedication and creativity that have led to a transformative solution with the potential to enhance the resilience and improve the lives of millions of children who have experienced trauma."

Kingston University's Innovation Partnerships Team has also been shortlisted for the Innovation Award. The small, but perfectly formed team founded Studio KT1, a creative agency powered by Kingston University students, and Not My Beautiful House, a community led pop up shop which sells work from Kingston University students, alumni and the local community.

Studio KT1 gives students the opportunity to work on paid live projects while studying, providing work experience and valuable employability skills before they graduate. It works in mixed teams mirroring an industry model, so an art director may work with a game designer or a fine art student alongside a filmmaker or photographer.

Students have been involved in everything from decorating vacant shops and billboards with inspiring branded illustrations to running workshops and events for the public. They have worked with a number of high-profile clients including Unilever, The Bentall Centre in Kingston upon Thames, and BBC Research & Development. Since its inception in 2019, the agency has employed more than 300 students on 80 projects.

Through the direction of Studio KT1 and the Union of Kingston Students, students created Not My Beautiful House. To date, it has had more than 100,000 visitors and platformed the work of more than 500 creatives.

Another team to be named a finalist in the Alliance Awards is the Student Enrichment Team, within The Star Award category. The team supports students from all backgrounds through a range of activities designed to enhance their university experience and develop the skills and attributes sought by employers.

Its Beyond Barriers mentoring scheme supports students from under-represented groups to reach their full potential, pairing them with mentors from a range of industries and organisations. Around two thirds of mentors are Kingston University graduates and there are currently around 300 student-mentor pairs on the programme.

ELEVATE is another scheme that is run by the Student Enrichment Team. The award-winning accelerator programme supports students of Black heritage to achieve their full potential by giving them the skills and experience to succeed in their careers.

Louisa Green, Executive Director of Student Services congratulated the Innovation Partnerships and Student Enrichment teams on their achievements in being recognised as finalists in these awards. "These two teams have demonstrated outstanding support for our students," she said. "They have equipped students from all backgrounds with the skills and confidence to thrive at university, in preparation for embarking on successful careers."

The winners will be announced at the Alliance Awards evening on 10 September at the University of West London.