Mind the gap: closer working between academia and practice
Workshop facilitated by Helen Bowkett, senior technical director, Arcadis
'If only I’d have known, and if only you had asked....having worked as Head of Transport Evidence at the Welsh Government, as well as being a visiting professor at University at the West of England and a transport professional, now at Arcadis, I can see how important it is to break through common constraints and enable all parties to understand each other's needs and strengths in order to deliver smarter tools and processes'
Helen Bowkett, senior technical director, Arcadis
To many practitioners, earning a living as a transport modeller in one of many consultancies, the academic world can feel like an unknown world. Many will have been part of it as a student; most as an undergraduate and many as postgraduates. These ‘academics’ prepared us for the world of work. We learnt from them about our subject, and about many of the skills we use each day at work – and then….
….they became strangers to us. What do they do when they are not teaching students? How can we, as practitioners, continue to interact with the academic world? Something deep within me feels that there has to be mutual benefit from closer and continued interaction between transport modellers working in consultancies and the academic community.
The Research into Practice workshop at Modelling World 2017 provides an opportunity to interact with members of the academic world, from PhD students to professors. It will enable us explore together how the transport modelling community in the ‘real’ world can interact with those in ‘ivory’ towers; to explore the structure of our working lives and organisations, and hear the highlights of current research. Ideas, suggeestions and contributions are welcome: please bring them to the Research in Practice workshop on June 14 at Modelling World 2017.
Join us to:
understand what the academic world is like. What do academics do all day, how is their performance judged, and what are their deadlines and pressures like?
hear short presentations from some of best of the UK's current PhD students on their research into areas such as the use of Bluetooth and mobile data for modelling
share the experience of those who have tried to live in both worlds at the same time – what is it like to do a PhD part-time while still working for a consultancy. Is it madness?
Workshop agenda
Understand my world: a peek inside the academic's study
Insight into the latest UK PhD research: short presentations from current projects
Andrew Bwambale, ITS Leeds: Modelling trip generation using mobile phone data: a latent demographics approach
Sam Gunner, Bristol (ex-TfL): Clifton suspension bridge dashboard project
Q & A with a consultant transport modelling PhD part-time survivor
Breakout sessions: how can we achieve closer working and understanding between practitioners and academic modellers
How can practitioners access academic research?
How can academics know what questions need investigation?
How to raise the impact, influence and relevance of academic research to practitioner modelling community?
How can practitioners help academics in their research – can we create a channel for a two-way flow of ideas, experience and data for research
Closing panel session:
Greg Marsden, Professor of Transport Governance, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds
Professor Eddie Wilson, Chair in Intelligent Transport Systems, University of Bristol
Siamak Khorgami, Associate Director, Aecom and University College London
Jordi Casas, Executive Director, Research and Development Director, TSS-Transport Simulation Systems
Do you have a success story you'd like to share, or insight from outside of the UK or from a discipline outside of transport?
We are also keen to have your views on what a successful outcome from such a workshop could look like. Please contact Programme Director Juliana O'Rourke on or on 020 7193 4142 with ideas and suggestions
