Educating for Impact

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has embarked on an exciting transnational partnership with Covenant University (CU), Nigeria, to co-develop an innovative curriculum focused on Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

The British Council-funded COIL project, titled Educating for Impact: A Transnational Approach to Sustainability and Life Cycle Analysis in Higher Education, brings together our institutions to create globally relevant, locally contextualised approaches to sustainability education. The project enables students to address environmental challenges through interdisciplinary and international perspectives.

The initiative builds on an existing relationship between NTU and CU, which already collaborate through a Memorandum of Understanding that supports research activities. The project has also provided an opportunity to establish a longer-term framework for transnational education and research collaboration between the two institutions.

The COIL format enabled students and staff to connect virtually. Thanks to support from the British Council, colleagues from Covenant University were also welcomed to NTU for an in-person visit, fostering new research collaborations beyond the Department of Physical Sciences.

Students worked in international teams comprising participants from both the UK and Nigeria to investigate real-world sustainability challenges through the application of Life Cycle Assessment methodologies. They had the opportunity to engage with industrial stakeholders, including Reckitt, working collaboratively to develop solutions and present their findings to company representatives. The students received highly positive feedback on the quality of their work and virtual collaboration.

Through the COIL project, students developed specialist technical knowledge of sustainability and LCA while also gaining valuable transferable skills, including intercultural communication, time management, presentation skills, international teamwork and problem-solving. The experience encouraged participants to consider global challenges from multiple perspectives and appreciate how local contexts influence sustainable solutions.

For colleagues interested in developing a COIL project, the involvement of national and international stakeholders is recommended. Their participation can add significant value by providing students with an employability-focused, work-like learning experience.