The Challenge

The incoming Vice Chancellor wanted to develop a participative strategy that helped move NTU from ‘a new university conscious of its roots as an ex-Polytechnic’ to a genuinely leading modern university.   This work took part in two phases: each embracing both academics and professional staff, with the latter phase including students, alumni, civic society and other institutions – globally as well as locally. The later work had a strong emphasis on NTU’s social mobility endeavours, taking innovative solutions into some of the more deprived areas of Nottingham.

The Approach

The University Executive team identified key themes to be explored including Lifelong Learning, NTU’s Place in Society and Digital. GameShift’s role included several strands of activity:

• One role, in the background, was as a designer of the overarching process, creating a range of “safe” to “radical” intervention options that fitted the culture whilst also stretched thinking. In this role we acted as Thinking Partner to the Transformation Director as she led teams to run workshops and gather input, and we also provided creative challenge and acted as a Thinking Partner to the Vice Chancellor.
• A further role was to design and facilitate some of the larger and more complex groups – including two conferences of 300 staff from across the institution.

• Additionally, we also helped develop the University Executive Team to ensure that they were able to lead the institution in the way that would now be required.

Today we continue our work with NTU, supporting internal teams to make the ideas and ambitions from the strategy process come to life and embedded as part of NTU’s organisational DNA.

The Outcome

The university implemented its ambitions and subsequently went on to gain multiple awards, starting with Modern University of the Year in 2018 and again in 2023.

It’s also been University of the Year and won multiple other awards in the areas including student experience, sustainability and contribution to the local community.

The VC, Professor Edward Pack, was kind enough to say that both pieces of work have been figural in the success that NTU enjoyed – writing “we couldn’t have done it without you.”

The culture of the institution has changed enormously from one that was held back by previous assumptions and beliefs to an organisation that recognises its strengths and is confident in its ability to innovate and achieve.  This is summed up in how the word “Trent” is used: in 2014 it was seen as an unfortunate remnant of history, embarrassing whereas today the #trent tag is widely used as a proud and vibrant statement of a new identity.