Mini-Fest on Student Engagement
and Co-Design

It is widely recognised that students at all levels should engage in research activities that develop their abilities as researchers, their understanding and ways of investigating and articulating complex problems and questions (Fung, 2017; Healey & Jenkins, 2009; Brew, 2017). However, students can often be positioned as passive recipients of research rather than being actively involved. Being a researcher also means undertaking activities such as peer review, dissemination and public engagement, and, as many argue, being part of research communities and working in partnership with staff (Tong et al, 2018).

The British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR) is a multidisciplinary academic conference that provides a platform at a national level for undergraduates to come together, present their research, network and enjoy the experience of being a researcher. This is a high impact educational activity that not only builds participants' interpersonal abilities, but also strengthens employment and post- graduate prospects. This paper will discuss the impact of BCUR for those UoP students who took part in recent years.