Ð԰ɵç̨

A dedicated unit aiming to use research carried out at Ð԰ɵç̨ Leicester (Ð԰ɵç̨) to effect social change has officially opened.

The Ð԰ɵç̨ Policy Unit acts as a key link between Ð԰ɵç̨'s research community and the international policy arena, helping academics connect with lawmakers and meet urgent social challenges as they arise.

Dr Ahmad Al-Hiari

After 18 months of strategic development, the unit was opened on campus recently, with a programme featuring speakers from government, academia and civil society.

Held at The Yard on Ð԰ɵç̨'s Leicester campus, the launch event was opened by Professor Mike Kagioglou, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Planning, Research & Innovation, who set the strategic vision for the unit, outlining Ð԰ɵç̨'s deep commitment to research with impact.

He said: "The policy unit adds a bridge that ensures our research does not just enhance public knowledge but helps form poilcy which shapes lives."

Keynote speakers included William Pryor, Head of Policy Engagement at the University of Oxford, Mark Bennister, the Founding Director of Lincoln Policy Hub and Karri Aston, Head of Academic Engagement at the Government Office for Science, who joined virtually.

A number of Ð԰ɵç̨ researchers also contributed, outlining research they had been involved in which has had real world impact. They included Professor Bertha Ochieng, who leads the Talent 25 research project, looking at the power access to the arts has on influencing people as they grow.

There was also talks from Dr Ismini Vasileiou, who has authored a white paper in which she highlighted the outdated training systems which are leaving the UK “dangerously exposed” to cyber-attacks; and Leisa Nichols-Drew, who has carried out some of the only research into the safety of round-tipped knives over pointed blades.

Dr Ahmad Al-Hiari, the founder and lead of the Ð԰ɵç̨ Policy Unit spoke about how the unit had gone 'from vision to reality', highlighting its key achievements and partnerships so far and outlining its vision for the future.

He said: "The policy unit is designed to be a gateway that transforms researchers at Ð԰ɵç̨ into agents of change in their fields. Whether you're an early-career researcher with fresh findings or an established professor with decades of expertise, we now have direct pathways to HMG, Parliament, and regulatory bodies that can take your research forward to facilitate change in people's lives.

"For our staff, this means their work no longer ends with publications, it rather begins there. We're committed to providing the connections, support, and collaborative frameworks that ensure your research reaches the right people who shape the decisions that matter, from local to global.

"Our vision is to redefine how universities engage with policy. We're a responsive and agile network of knowledge brokers. We champion meaningful and sustained collaboration where researchers become embedded partners in policymaking rather than mere consultants. This launch consolidated our commitment to being an outward-facing, entrepreneurial university body that doesn't just study problems, but actively involves communities and policymakers in the co-creation of solutions. We're inviting every researcher to join this community of practice, where their expertise will become part of an academic coalition for evidence-based change."

To find out more about the Ð԰ɵç̨ Policy Unit, contact Dr Al-Hiari at policyunit@dmu.ac.uk.