Education and Careers Committee

Headline Purpose

To help attract school students in Northern Ireland into architecture, enhance architecture students’ learning and improve the impact of research.

The RSUA Education and Careers Committee was created in 2022/23.

How this purpose will be achieved

• Develop new (or tailor existing) resources for architects engaging with primary and secondary schools and explore the potential for a publicly funded schools’ programme
• Organise an annual opportunity for careers teachers to engage with the profession.
• Provide oversight of the RSUA Professional Insights Programme for second year undergraduates.
• Promote multiple routes to becoming an architect in Northern Ireland (Eg. Apprenticeships) and seek to ensure that all architecture courses are receiving adequate funding.
• Maintain ongoing dialogue between the universities and the profession so that students are being suitably prepared for entry into the profession.
• Assist in developing a shared understanding of the live research being undertaken in Northern Ireland on a bi-annual basis.
• Increase impact of university research by presenting research conclusions with the profession, decision makers and the wider public.
• Provide clear route for the profession to request/propose research topics and develop joint RSUA/UU/QUB policy papers based on research.
• Prepare RSUA responses to consultations relating to the education of architects.
• Engage with other relevant bodies including the All-Ireland Research Group, NI Assembly Research Matters and the other professional bodies.

Public benefit

The public will benefit by having a built environment which is better designed because talent is attracted into architecture courses, that talent is suitably prepared for professional life and research will underpin more of the design decisions taken by architects.

Meeting frequency/pre-arranged dates

This committee will meet quarterly, from 1pm until 2.30pm on the following dates:

• 1pm on Tuesday 23 July 2024
• 1pm on Wednesday 13 November 2024
• 1pm on Wednesday 12 February 2025
• 1pm on Wednesday 14 May 2025
• 1pm on Wednesday 13 August 2025
• 1pm on Wednesday 19 November 2025

Other meetings will be scheduled as required between the standing meetings.

Membership

Education & Careers Committee Chair Jennifer Harper.