Want to turn your education into a force for good? Want to do a dissertation with ethical value? Or simply struggling to think of a dissertation topic? Well, take a look at NUS’ dissertations for good.

BU has signed up to an NUS initiative called Dissertations for Good (DfG) which connects students with external organisations who then work together to complete research projects into social, economic and environmental sustainability. The result is a piece of student work that contributes in a tangible way, by producing a report that is useful for their partnered organisation.

Past topics of study have encompassed social sciences, geography, environmental science, media, and many more so it is definitely worth seeing if there might be a company or topic of interest to you!

DfG helps students to improve their communication, interpersonal, problem-solving and organisation skills, as well as developing their ability to use their initiative and self-motivate. It also provides valuable CV-enhancing experience of working in the outside world.

All students looking to undertake a research project at BU can register at www.nus.org.uk/dfg and create a profile. This allows them to search the organisations participating in DfG. They then request to be partnered with the organisation and organise a planning meeting. The student, their supervisor and a representative from the partner organisation meet to discuss the project and work together to make the project a success.

Examples of projects completed by students at other universities can be found on the website. They are a great way to kick-start your career and bring some much needed exposure to some great causes.

The SDG Accord is a commitment you can make to do what you can to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. You can sign up as an individual today, and have a look at both the SDGwebsite and BU’s sustainability pages to see what BU is doing as an institution. Link: http://www.sdgaccord.org/

For any initial queries or guidance about either of the items in this post, please contact Eloise Nickerson (Sustainability Support Officer) at enickerson@bournemouth.ac.uk