Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Our evidence for this goal in The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings includes reporting our policies on academic freedom (including information in our statutes about our Senate and Council and Student Association representation).

We engage locally through the University’s Regional Engagement Team that meets weekly with reps from Central Bedfordshire Council and bi-monthly with Bedford Borough Council.

We have joined forces with Milton Keynes Council and business partners to develop and inform decision making for a new university, MK:U.

Cranfield is co-leading a new international project to examine the role of culture and archives in enhancing possibilities for peace and preventing conflict in communities around the world. Imagining Futures through Un/Archived Pasts is a four-year, £2 million project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and will establish an interdisciplinary network to connect creators and institutions in Africa, the Middle East, North America and Europe.

Our academics participate as advisers to local, regional and national government, for example:

• Pirienergy project – working with Peterborough City Council and other partners, the project aimed to deliver low-cost and low carbon emission energy for the Peterborough community which could be transferred to other cities.
• Soil policy for Wales – Dr Jacqueline Hannam worked with the Welsh Government to develop the first Soil Policy Statement for Wales. The report has now been published.

Our leadership of the Academic Resilience and Security Community (RiSC) is an example of providing a neutral platform for stakeholders to discuss challenging subjects. RiSC is a network of universities formed to promote academic engagement in solving challenges in national security and resilience. It is recognised by the Home Office and other Government departments as a portal to academia.