Collaborative research is a pillar of the Lancaster University and Sunway University partnership. Together researchers from Lancaster and Sunway are exploring sustainability, health, plastic reduction and more. Below are just a selection of the ongoing research between the two institutions.

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How to make a ‘good’ city

The World Bank estimates that the number of people living in cities will double by 2050 to around 8.8 billion — 70% of the planet’s population. In turn, that means rapidly growing demand for affordable housing, jobs, transport and basic services. Cities need to be ‘good’ places to live: environmentally- friendly, sustainable and a positive force in terms of wellbeing and inclusivity.

Recognising the scale and importance of the challenges, Lancaster and Sunway University have come together to form the Future Cities Research Institute (FCRI).

The Institute is a hub for joining together expertise from across disciplines — science, technology, management, the social sciences, architecture, design and the arts — to co-design and collaborate over solutions, shape the global agenda for cities research, and develop the next generations of researchers to carry on the work.

“We believe that we all have the right to live in cities that cater for the environment, promote health and wellbeing, protect us from natural and human-made disasters and make use of the latest digital technologies to serve humanity,” said Director of the FCRI, Professor Emmanuel Tsekleves.

Recently, a three-year flagship project has been announced, ‘Building Future Net-zero Cities With Zero-emissions Portland Cement’. There are also six one-year ‘seedcorn’ projects. These cover the role of green skills and sustainable education in business and management curricula; a techno-economic impact analysis of solid waste collection; developing advanced paint formulations to combat climate change; digital healthcare solutions; and digital/smart working environments.

Malaysia and the UK pool forces on sustainability

Developing sustainable solutions is essential for several interconnected reasons that span environmental, economic, social, and other dimensions. Achieving practical solutions requires interdisciplinary understanding and collaboration across national perspectives, considering legislation, public attitudes, technology, finance, and management.

Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) and Sunway Business School (SBS) in Malaysia are enhancing their cooperation on sustainability through a series of annual conferences. This event promotes joint research agendas on health, equity, community, and quality of life.

The conference, now in its third year, took place 18/19 June 2024 at LUMS, bringing together academics and practitioners from Malaysia and the UK. Research topics include sustainability reporting, plastic waste, ocean stewardship, and food security. Dr Hina Khan, who is organising the third annual conference, said: “Our goal is to create meaningful, global research initiatives that produce actionable insights and innovative solutions for pressing global issues. We are eagerly anticipating an invigorating event.”

“Our partnership is developing a globally significant research collaboration around sustainability,” said Professor Marwan Izzeldin, Associate Dean (International) at LUMS. “Each event brings new insights, ideas for research, and opportunities for international cooperation, which are critical to addressing challenges and delivering realistic solutions.”

The partnership between Lancaster and Sunway is the largest UK-Malaysia Transnational Education initiative, flourishing for 18 years. Sustainability events are supported by Lancaster’s Global Advancement Fund, fostering innovation and connectivity in global networks.

How to escape the Plastic Age

A convenient super-material: light, durable — cheaper to replace than fix. Both business and consumers have found plastic materials endlessly versatile and irresistible.

Lancaster University Management School’s Professor Maria Piacentini and Dr Alison Stowell are leading a team of academics and working with partners internationally on how the world can move on from its Plastic Age, reversing the drastic accumulation of plastics in the natural world. Because plastic pollution can be found everywhere: in the snows of Mount Everest and 11 kilometres down inside some of the deepest trenches of the Pacific Ocean.

The Plastic Packaging in Peoples’ Lives project (PPiPL) focuses in particular on how the use of plastic food packaging has become embedded into consumers’ day-to-day routines, and has recently extended into a project with Sunway University, understanding the differences in behaviour in Malaysian households and the waste management and recycling operations.

“The work at Lancaster is directly related to the 2025 Plastic Pact Targets in the UK — but attention to plastics, the potential to build a culture of re-use and recycling, has to be global,” said Maria. “It’s one of those issues where we need to share insights from different countries, cultures and disciplines and to share ideas across national initiatives.” The work in Malaysia came about via the joint Lancaster/Sunway Future Cities Research Institute, funded by UKRI’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and the Newton Fund for international fellowships. “The chance to have someone based on the ground in Malaysia was the key to the success of the project, working with Sunway academics in both the business school and materials science.”

Alison said: “The pilot with Sunway has meant a window onto differences in habits of plastic use in households — due to the climate, religion etc — mean different food packaging and storage practices. It’s common, as one example, for Malaysian families to re-use their crisp packets to store food in the fridge.”