Three University of Westminster projects named finalists for prestigious 2023 Green Gown Awards

Two projects led by academics Dr Pooja Basnett and Dr Ro Spankie are finalists in the UK and Ireland Tomorrow's Employees category, while the University has also been shortlisted in the Student Engagement category for its involvement in the London Student Sustainability Conference 2023.

Dr Pooja Basnett is a Senior Lecturer and the Co-course Leader for the Biological Sciences BSc Honours course in the School of Life Sciences. Her project Cavendish Living Lab provides opportunities for students to co-create sustainable solutions using applied research and learning within an authentic setting. The Living Lab approach uses the University campus as the laboratory and provides a platform for Westminster students to partner with various stakeholders to address real world issues and develop innovative, sustainable solutions. Dr Linda Percy and Dr Dipankar Sengupta are Co-leads on the project. 

Three main drivers of the Cavendish Living Lab project are authentic learning, sustainability and employability. The Cavendish Living Lab offers three live projects: Urban Food Growing, Bioplastics Production and Water Management and is open to students from all disciplines across schools within the University. One unique aspect of the Cavendish Living Lab projects is their use of Artificial Intelligence to reduce and manage waste effectively.

Dr Basnett said: “We are honoured to be chosen as one of the finalists for the Green Gown Awards. It feels wonderful to be recognised for our collective efforts in making our campus more sustainable. This recognition has motivated us to continue working harder on our sustainability initiatives. As an academic, it is fulfilling to witness students contribute to creating a more sustainable and resilient future and becoming advocates for sustainable practices. They have thrived in this authentic learning environment. Their commitment and passion inspires me every day. “ 

Dr Ro Spankie, Principal Lecturer and Subject Lead for Interior Architecture, leads on the Mental Health, Design and Wellbeing: Co-design Workshop, a large-scale collaborative design project. The School of Architecture + Cities works with the Medical School at Imperial College London to explore the relationship between design, mental health and wellbeing. The collaboration includes 650 students across multiple courses working in interdisciplinary teams with patients, clinicians, architects and other key stakeholders with pre-defined mental health conditions to identify problems and propose innovative solutions for the design of existing NHS mental healthcare sites.

Dr Spankie said: “All of us involved are delighted the Co-Production Workshop has been selected as a Green Gown finalist under the category of Tomorrow’s Employers as the development of complex transferable skills relevant to future practice is exactly what the workshop sets out to do. It does this by offering students a unique, immersive and experiential learning experience that challenges the ‘conventional’ pedagogy of designer-client / expert-user, by putting forward the notion of the ‘experts by experience’.”

The University of Westminster was also selected as a finalist in the Green Gown Student Engagement category for its involvement in the London Student Sustainability Conference 2023. This student-led conference offered a platform to London-based students from ten universities to showcase climate and sustainability research and collaborate with one another.

Morgan Lirette, Sustainable Development Advisor at the University of Westminster, said: “I’m so pleased Westminster is plugged into this initiative, as it brings London higher education together in the spirit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and offers our students the opportunity to practice presenting in a conference environment. It also broadens their knowledge of the challenges and solutions to today's most critical issues, allows them to network with other students, academics and professionals from unis across London, and gain inspiration and tools to take action on climate and sustainability issues.”

The University of Westminster was previously shortlisted for the Green Gown Awards 2020 in the Campus Health, Food, and Drink category for its Changing for Good project.

Learn more about Westminster’s commitment to sustainable development.