In this blog, we will take you through the important next steps for students who will be undertaking the Collaborative Project in Semester 2.

What is the Collaborative Project?

The Collaborative Project is where students from across the University form interdisciplinary teams and use their individual experiences and expertise to solve a real business problem, provided by one of our corporate partners.

The goal of this module is for you to learn about collaboration, innovation and reflective practise while providing an experience of being able work on a live project with an external organisation. It is challenging but can be very rewarding!

To help provide a flavour, here’s a video from a previous CP alongside some further thoughts and tips from students on last year’s CP here.  Additionally, if you were unable to attend the ‘Welcome to Collaborate’ event on 1^st December 2020, please find a recording from the event here.

What are my next steps?

The Collaborative Project briefs are now ready and available for you to view and submit your preference here. Please take time to read through all the brief/s that are available to you in your Institute, before making a selection before the deadline of 31^st January 5pm UTC.

Project allocations are made by our automated system and we have limited capacity for each project. While the system will try to best satisfy all preferences as best as possible, we cannot guarantee your first choice. Your project allocation will be confirmed before your first CP session with your academic Project Lead.  Please note, no further information is available at this stage on the briefs and as such LU LDN staff or Partner Organisations are unable to take questions to this end before the start of the module.

Once you have made your brief selection preferences, you will also be randomly allocated into teams. Just like in the working world, this will enable you to work with new people with diverse backgrounds. In this context you will learn about team-building and how to work in collaborative innovation teams. While your project work is very practical and ‘hands on’, you will also lean about theories of innovation and team working. 

For many of you, working in such project teams and with an external organisation may be a new experience. We encourage you to enter this module with an open mind, ready to apply yourself in new domains and environments to support your learning and personal development and ultimately as many students from previous years have found, your employability.  Indeed, your experience from the CP can provide you with a unique selling point as you take your next step after LU. LDN, so we encourage you to make the most out of this opportunity.

Finally, our academic Module Lead Dr Thor Roser, will be hosting an Introduction to Collaborative Project session on 10^th February in advance of your first class session with your personal academic Project Lead on 17^th February, who will then continue lead a virtual classroom session each Wednesday at the same time for the rest of the semester.

Please note, in accordance with UK Government Covid-19 guidelines, all sessions will be hosted online until further notice and irrespective of future changes, there will be no requirement to enter premises of external Partner Organisations to complete this module. If this guidance changes we will notify you. 

In summary…

Please find below a summary of important actions and items below:

We look forward to welcoming you onto Collaborative Project 2021 soon! 

To find out more about the Collaborative Project module, please visit our website.