Communications Strategy within an Academic Context: A Case Study in Environmental Policy Research

Abstract

With the expansion of capability of information and communication technologies and the platforms and networks they imply, research and education services have become truly global, both in terms of the resources available to researchers and departments, but also in terms of the potential recipients of research and education services. As a consequence, the roll of communications within Higher Education has altered dramatically within the past decade. Additional incentives, for example in the UK Research Excellence Framework “impact” or increased competition for research funding, stakeholder inclusion or student enrollment, mean that communications are no longer considered an optional extra, but are central to the viability of a successful and sustainable organisation. This paper presents a detailed case study of the communications strategy developed and implemented for the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research (4CMR) 2009-2011.