Our Clean Futures Innovation Accelerator has been shortlisted for a national award recognising its success in helping businesses innovate, attract investment and accelerate the transition towards cleaner, more competitive manufacturing across the West Midlands! The programme is a finalist in the Regional Economy Impact category at the 2026 Knowledge Exchange (KE) Awards, which celebrate the application of university research and innovation to deliver tangible economic and societal benefits. The award recognises initiatives that apply research and innovation to strengthen regional economies through business growth, investment, skills development and job creation. Across its three-year duration, Clean Futures supported more than 50 SME accelerator participations and innovation trials, helping participating businesses secure more than £103 million in commercial contracts and £23.5 million in private investment, alongside generating skilled employment and follow-on research and development opportunities. Head to pulse.ly/zfh6zoi6u2 to learn more about Coventry University’s Clean Futures Innovation Accelerator.

"Universities traditionally known for their high tariffs recruited around 50% more UK students this autumn than at the start of the decade, with many lowering their A-level grade requirements." In our latest opinion piece, Professor Ian Dunn, Provost of Coventry University Group, argues that the focus should now move from the grades students arrive with to the support that helps them succeed: The financial crisis in Higher Education is forcing many universities to make decisions that were not part of their thinking a few years ago – and the ramifications have yet to be fully realised. The sector is adapting to a present and future with far fewer of the international students whose tuition fees have been helping balance the books at many institutions. Courses, departments and even campuses have been closing with increasing frequency around the country, impacting students, colleagues and the economic health of their communities. But perhaps the most significant impact is that there are no longer high-tariff universities – only high-tariff courses. Universities once known for demanding the highest A-Level grades have been reducing their entry requirements on many courses – in some cases substantially – in a bid to recruit more domestic students to protect their income and help to offset shortfalls in international student revenue. These universities are no more immune to the financial storm than the rest of the sector, unless they are among the few with large endowments. As more of their courses appear in Clearing, accepting grades well below those they asked for only a few years ago, it is worth asking what this change means for the students they now admit. Visit pulse.ly/pitfqvvqqy to keep learning from Professor Ian Dunn about: ◾ What's best for students ◾ Why tailoring support and learning environments for students from all walks of life is so important ◾ The wider picture, including driving economic growth and productivity in every single region

We're celebrating the achievements of more than 500 students studying under the partnership of Coventry University Group and @psbacademy Singapore! The graduation ceremony took place at @rwsentosa, Singapore, bringing together the graduating cohort and more than 1,500 guests, including family, friends, colleagues and senior representatives from both organisations. Leading the ceremony were Professor John Latham CBE, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of Coventry University Group, Professor Richard Wells, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University Group (Global), Dr Michael Yap, Managing Director of Coventry University Singapore Hub, and Derrick Chang, CEO of PSB Academy. Professor John Latham CBE said: "The graduation ceremony of more than 500 students who studied with Coventry University and PSB Academy in Singapore is a huge testament to the success of our global education vision. "We are pleased to welcome this cohort to our global Coventry University alumni community, who are well equipped with an international perspective and the resilience needed to thrive in today's dynamic world. Congratulations to the Class of 2026, I look forward to seeing your achievements in the years to come." Professor Richard Wells said: "It was a delight to see the decade-long partnership between Coventry University and PSB Academy thriving with the recent graduation ceremony. "Our industry-relevant global degree programmes have set our students up for success for many years and having the opportunity to join the celebrations with our newest graduates who are preparing for the next steps in their careers was a privilege." This graduating cohort perfectly symbolised the event's theme, Oceans of Opportunity, as they now embark on their next chapter, whether in Singapore or around the globe, with a degree award certificate from Coventry University. We wish them all the very best for the future and we can't wait to see what they achieve next! #CoventryUniversity #Graduation #OceansOfOpportunity #CreatingBetterFutures

Workers say the right uniform has a big influence on how well they do their job, a study by us shows. Researchers from our Centre for Arts and Creative Cultures spoke to more than 2,500 people across a number of industries to find out how workers feel about their uniform and the impact it has on them – and customers – in the workplace. More than 80% of employees said their uniform influences their ability to do their job effectively, with basic comfort and suitability more important than fashion or sustainability trends. Around six out of 10 workers believe uniforms directly influence customer experience and two-thirds (66%) agree customers judge the business by staff attire. Nearly two-thirds of workers surveyed also feel more confident with customers when they like their uniform. The study also showed that one in 14 workers are likely or very likely to quit their job specifically due to poor uniform design - with Millennials (those aged about 30 to 45) identified as the most vulnerable demographic. Visit pulse.ly/skcn3cflnj to learn more and hear from Professor Louise Moody, Professor of Health Design and Human Factors at Coventry University. @CovUniResearch #CovResearch

How can we create a more seamless journey for young people from education into employment? In our latest opinion piece, Professor Andrew Turner, Vice Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), responds to plans to roll out vocational GCSEs and V-Levels across England, discussing how earlier exposure to technical and vocational education will help address the UK’s skills gap: The UK Government is embarking on major reforms to secondary and further education across England, with the introduction of vocational GCSEs, V-Levels and expansion of T Levels set to broaden the ways in which young people develop and acquire sought-after skills and qualifications. And rightly so, as expanding industries and technological advancements are creating a greater need for people with a wider range of skills and capabilities, yet the UK is experiencing a vast skills gap that is hindering economic growth and productivity, with more than a quarter of vacancies being hard to fill because of skills shortages. The issue is not that technical and vocational routes don’t exist but rather that they are not as visible or consistently available across the country as their academic counterparts, with data also showing differences in how technical qualifications are perceived and valued. Visit pulse.ly/6ho882s2e3 to read more from Professor Andrew Turner on: ◾ Equal access to academic, technical and vocational education ◾ The importance of aligning skills and education with economic and industrial needs ◾ How universities can take knowledge and skills development even further

A Coventry University historian will lift the lid on the real stories behind mythical creatures including werewolves and demons on a new @NatGeo documentary. Dr Darren R. Reid has added his expert voice to Monsters: The Truth Behind the Myths which unpacks the origins of some of the most terrifying legends told for centuries. The next episode – being shown this weekend – will see Dr Reid help tell the real-life stories of people who claimed to be werewolves or were executed after being accused of turning into the creature. Dr Reid, an Assistant Professor and Course Director of History, will also feature in further episodes exploring demons and Frankenstein's monster. Dr Reid said: "Werewolves and demons speak to some of our darkest fears and desires – the worry that just next door, just across the water or hidden in the woods there is a force we cannot understand. "Understanding why we tell stories about monsters tells us so much about ourselves – our hopes, dreams and, of course, fears." Read full article here: pulse.ly/ollcpgji64

@covcampus is leading an international project battling food poverty and social issues all around the kitchen table. The ROOTED project will enhance the work and development of landed community kitchens (LCK) which are shared cooking and eating spaces directly linked to and supplied by local agroecological farmers and producers, meaning they are “rooted” within their community. They also look to improve the wellbeing and opportunities of their communities rather than just providing much-needed food to those who need it most. This includes offering access to education and training, social support and helping farmers, producers and the kitchens themselves to work closely for their mutual benefit. The research will look at the current network of LCKs across Europe and understand what makes each one work best and share that knowledge to help those that already exist, hone the creation of new LCKs and inform policy makers on how best to support them. Visit pulse.ly/e9xy3tyizk to read more about the ROOTED project. @coventrycc @EU_Commission

A Coventry University student is making waves in the design world after being named Superyacht UK Young Designer of the Year 2026! Oliver Weaver, a third-year Automotive and Transport Design student, was crowned winner of the competition at the recent @SotonBoatShow for his vision of a new explorer yacht with an unconventional layout. He is not the first Coventry University student to achieve success in superyacht design. In 2024, graduate Amel Khsouma was named winner in the Master’s category at the Superyacht UK Young Designer Competition while Finn Lortan was named @boatint’s Young Designer of the Year earlier this year. The latest competition tasked participants to design a 50-metre explorer-style yacht for touring the Norwegian Fjords and capable of travelling anywhere in the world. It also needed to produce no carbon dioxide while within the fjords and incorporate a range of features including a beach club (a water leisure area), cabins and storage for tenders and toys (such as jet skis). Visit pulse.ly/pu9oijgzv4 to learn more. @CovUniAS

Researchers have successfully recreated a long-theorised form of turbulence found deep inside planets and stars, providing new insights into how these distant worlds and our own planet generate heat, movement and magnetic fields. An international team of scientists including Susanne Horn at , demonstrated, for the first time in a desktop-sized laboratory experiment, a special type of turbulent fluid motion known as diffusivity-free turbulence. The findings validate decades of theoretical predictions and could help researchers better understand the hidden processes taking place inside Earth, Jupiter, the Sun and other celestial bodies. Visit pulse.ly/wjhcujtkb4 to hear from Professor Susanne Horn about this breakthrough. @PPPLab @CovUniResearch

"People should not have to become technical experts to receive basic protection." After the president of Microsoft reportedly said AI is less regulated than milk, in our latest opinion piece, Professor Elena Gaura, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research and AI Lead at Coventry University Group, explains what food regulation can tell us about how to make AI safer: When we buy a pint of milk, we do not inspect the dairy ourselves. We rely on a system of hygiene requirements, inspections and responsibilities that extends from production to sale. That system cannot eliminate every risk, but it makes safety an obligation rather than a promise. What should we expect when artificial intelligence influences decisions about our education, employment or access to services? The comparison needs careful treatment. #AI is already subject to laws, including data protection and equality requirements, and to rules in regulated sectors. Milk and AI present different problems, yet the everyday expectation behind food regulation is relevant: People should not have to become technical experts to receive basic protection. Visit pulse.ly/v6dhyko46q to continue reading Professor Elena Gaura's #OpinionPiece about: ◾ Why responsible AI requires regulation and organisational competence ◾ The importance of putting responsible AI into practice ◾ Establishing clear accountability across the AI supply chain ◾ Human oversight and building the right skills @CovUniResearch

Two of our projects that stretch across a number of countries have been recognised for their global impact and presence! Shakespeare Remote and Frugal Artist-in-Residence (FAiR) have both been shortlisted in the QS Reimagine Education Awards 2026, which received more than 2,200 submissions from around the world. FAiR is shortlisted for the Sustainability Education Action award, while Shakespeare Remote is among the runners in the Learning Design Excellence category. Shaun Hides, Academic Dean of the College of the Arts and Society at Coventry University, said: "Although the two projects are very different, both demonstrate how creative practice can provide a testing ground for new approaches to education, collaboration and engagement. "While one has grown through interdisciplinary research and community co-creation and the other through international performer training, both reflect a wider culture of experimentation." Read more here: pulse.ly/tklw4by6bi

Students at Coventry University are drawing attention to modern slavery and human trafficking by bringing an internationally recognised art project to the city. Working with the , students from courses across the university’s College of the Arts and Society created a thought-provoking artwork on the steps of @CovCathedral, pouring red sand into cracks between the paving stones. The artwork is part of the Red Sand Project, which has seen similar events around the world, each drawing attention to modern slavery and human trafficking. To further highlight the issue, Journalism and Media and Communications students created a video of an interview with @coventrycc's Modern Slavery Lead screened in the Chapter House of the Cathedral. The event took place on Friday (16th October), ahead of #NationalAntiSlaveryDay on 18th October, a national awareness event urging governments and organisations to combat modern slavery. Visit pulse.ly/4h7cbifkly to learn more. #NationalAntiSlaveryWeek

Coventry University is continuing to expand its global reach with a commitment to explore offering qualifications that can open up new opportunities and support students’ future ambitions in Sri Lanka. A long-standing partnership between Coventry University and the @nibmofficial already sees 3,233 students currently studying for Coventry University qualifications in Sri Lanka. The partners have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a view to see eight new courses delivered at a new site, the southern Innovation Centre of NIBM - which is to set begin operations in December. The partnership between Coventry University and NIBM already allows learners on some NIBM and Coventry University courses to finish their studies in Sri Lanka or transfer to finish them at Coventry University’s city centre campus or at @covunilondon . Last month a delegation from NIBM visited Coventry University to sign an MOU agreement signalling the intention to explore further areas of collaboration between the two organisations. Visit pulse.ly/6rifinawgg to learn more about Coventry University's relationship with NIBM from Professor Ian Dunn.

Last night saw @covcampus' football finance expert Dr @Tom_Bason chat to @bbc5live about ticket prices and broadcasting in the 'beautiful game'. Listen here from 36.52: tinyurl.com/45ts4pve

We’re supporting a new collaborative project to help manufacturers better understand how energy and resources are consumed across their operations and where improvements can be made. The @innovateuk-funded EMPOWER project will combine production, energy, resource and operational data to give manufacturers a clearer picture of where inefficiencies occur and what level of digital monitoring is appropriate for their business. Led by @bloc_digital, the consortium includes @PressacComm, @AlucastLTD, @WallworkHT , @dmc_newsroom, the @MAAaero and Coventry University’s @ame_uk. AME – which is part of the university’s Research Centre for Manufacturing and Materials - will lead work on manufacturing methodology, applied testbed activity and industrial evaluation. The team will develop a digital value-stream approach that compares planned performance with evidence from real manufacturing operations, including cost, quality, delivery, energy and resource use. AME’s applied manufacturing environment will also be used to validate the approach before trials with industrial partners, exploring how accessible sensing, structured data capture and contextualised dashboards can support better operational decisions. By linking consumption directly to manufacturing activity, EMPOWER aims to help companies understand not just how much energy and resource they use, but why they use it, where losses occur and which improvements are worth pursuing. Visit shorturl.at/bR5fC to read more. @CovUniResearch #CovResearch

Join Cordy, one of our Architecture students, as she shares her favourite spaces on campus. On this course, students benefit from hands-on learning in design studios, digital fabrication labs, and specialist workshops. @covcampus

This month, we’re officially launching the Coventry Centre for Doctoral Training (CTD) in #AI and invite colleagues, industry partners, researchers, alumni, students and anyone interested in the future of AI to join us! The launch event on 20 October is free and will showcase what the CDT in AI is all about, including how we are bringing together doctoral researchers, academics and industry to develop AI expertise and tackle real-world challenges. Come along to: ■ Find out more about the CDT in AI and our vision ■ Hear about how AI is already helping to address real-world challenges ■ Meet doctoral researchers, academics and partners ■ Discover opportunities to work with and engage with the CDT in AI ■ Explore how CDT can support businesses and organisations in addressing current and emerging challenges through AI For more details and how to book your place, visit pulse.ly/fkm3lo4xui @covcampus #WorldAIWeek #AIWeek #WSAI26

We’re using AI to help identify students who may benefit from additional support earlier in their studies. Our Early Student Support project analyses attendance records and activity on Aula - our online learning platform - to help staff spot potential issues sooner and start supportive conversations before challenges become bigger problems. Led by Professor James Brusey from , the project builds on ongoing successful work to enhance student progression and has been evaluated using more than 9,000 student records across the first two teaching blocks of the 2025-26 academic year. Additional historical datasets are also being reviewed as the project develops. If successful, we hope the AI tool it is developing could further improve how support is targeted and delivered, ensuring students receive help at the right time while allowing staff to focus their efforts where they can have the greatest impact. The project is being delivered through our AI Adoption Lab, which explores how AI can be used to solve real-world challenges and improve services across the university. Visit pulse.ly/hy3qmlom8g to read more. @CovUniResearch #CovResearch

Coventry University is playing a vital role in the 10th edition of British Art Show (BAS10) as the major cultural event comes to the city. The university’s Delia Derbyshire Building is hosting an array of work from leading artists, including 2024 Turner Prize winner Jasleen Kaur, who is exhibiting a new artwork specially commissioned for BAS10. Supported by Art Fund, 'Peace and' (2026) draws on the city’s status as a place of 'Peace and Reconciliation' following the 1940 Blitz attacks. Leaving the title deliberately unfinished, Kaur uses RMD scaffolding, courtroom benches, a postcard and a gold necklace to explore how we can live and transform within histories of destruction and renewal. Other artists showing work in the Delia Derbyshire Building include Precious Okoyomon, Liz Johnson Artur, Hannah Perry, Ufuoma Essi, Melanie Manchot and Joy Gerrard, while Julianknxx, a graduate of at Coventry University, will be exhibiting work at the . Craig Ashley, Deputy Head of School in the university’s School of Arts and Creative Industries, said: “All of the Coventry venues for the show are fantastic but what makes Delia Derbyshire special is that it is a live working space where creative subjects are taught and practised - this space and the people who use it are creating artworks, we’re not just about exhibiting, we’re a live education space where future Jasleen Kaurs are developing their ideas.” The BAS10 exhibition is open to the public at the Delia Derbyshire Building, Monday to Saturday, 10am-4pm, from now until 10th January 2027. Learn more here: pulse.ly/o9oeh1lrtf #BritishArtShow #BAS10 @southbankcentre