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麻豆传媒视频网站 STEaPP and the BSI working to support the next generation of standards makers

12 May 2020

麻豆传媒视频网站 STEaPP and BSI, the UK鈥檚 national standards body, have been collaborating on a number of projects to develop student鈥檚 knowledge of standards and their role in supporting innovation in science and engineering.

Standards stock image

The partnership between STEaPP and BSI has been led by Dr Irina Brass, Lecturer in Regulation, Innovation and Public Policy and Chair of the Internet of Things Committee at the BSI. In April 2020, Dr Brass was appointed to the BSI鈥檚 Standards Policy and Strategy Committee (SPSC), the leading committee responsible for advising and reporting to the Board on the preparation of British Standards. The committee convenes stakeholders from across government, consumer associations, industry and academia to support and highlight the crucial role of standards. 聽聽

BSI recently featured STEaPP as a leading model on how to deliver standards teaching in higher education by featuring the department, and Dr Brass鈥檚 work, in two exemplar case studies.聽

Teaching standards and standardization

The first, , highlights Dr Brass鈥檚 work to integrate the teaching of standards into STEaPP鈥檚 flagship Master鈥檚 of Public Administration programme, and in particular, the role standards have in underpinning responsible innovation and their use in informing policymaking. MPA candidates now use a variety of tools and resources, including BSI鈥檚 British Standards Online (BSOL) database, to develop their practical knowledge about how standards are developed and the diversity of standards found in everyday life. 聽

Dr Brass said: 鈥淪tandards and standardization processes are often seen as the domain of technical experts, and removed from important societal issues such as consumer protection, responsible innovation and policy-making. In reality, standards matter for the next generation of decision-makers and policymakers we鈥檙e preparing at STEaPP through our teaching and research practice.鈥

In November 2019, Dr Brass received the award in recognition of her exceptional contribution in integrating standards and standardization into the higher education curriculum and for promoting student education projects and research around standards. The winners were announced on 21 November at the Standards Conference and Awards event in London.

Deepening BSI鈥檚 knowledge of SME needs in the IoT space

MPA students at STEaPP have the opportunity to work on a group research project as part of their studies, giving them the chance to partner with external organisations to work on real-world policy challenges. Last year, four MPA Digital Technologies and Policy candidates, led by Dr Brass, partnered with BSI to help them understand the challenges SMEs face when navigating, adopting and implementing IoT standards.聽

Over the course of seven months, the team, which included Clementine Blanchier, Elizabeth Down, Anna Isabella Manghi and Jenni-Kirsty O鈥橞rien, worked alongside colleagues from BSI to outline the project scope and carry out research. The team provided important market intelligence on the unique challenges faced by SMEs in the IoT ecosystem and .

The project was part of BSI鈥檚 Student Research Programme (SRP), in which the BSI incorporates research by master鈥檚 degree students into the standards development process and .

Dr Brass said 鈥淭he educational partnership with the BSI is one of the most exciting projects I鈥檝e worked on. It is an example of the cutting-edge teaching practice and Connected Curriculum philosophy we promote at STEaPP and at 麻豆传媒视频网站 more broadly. The BSI team has been incredibly supportive of our students and their ambitions, making the experience valuable for everyone involved鈥.聽

The partnership with BSI continues with this year鈥檚 MPA cohort. Five MPA candidates in Digital Technologies and Policy are working with the BSI on an existing project on the 鈥淩egulatory and Standardization Challenges of Connected and Intelligent Medical Devices鈥. They have already presented their project at the 2020 BSI Standards e-Conference and are looking forward to conducting research over the coming months.聽