Loughborough University London founding partner in world’s first master’s in disability, design and innovation

A new course has been developed by the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) to encourage innovation in assistive technology and products.

The MSc in Disability, Design and Innovation will be available from September 2019 and is delivered by UCL in three locations, including Loughborough University London.

It is the first master’s in the world that will focus on disability, design and innovation.

As disability and mobility are being given wider attention, there is a growing need for adaptive products that increase accessibility as well as future technologies that will aid an increasingly ageing population.

The programme aims to give students the skills needed to be involved in international development, create start-ups and work with bigger businesses. Modules will be taught by experts in the field from across the globe.

Modules will include:

  • Accessibility and assistive technology
  • Research methods and making skills
  • Design thinking
  • Future global technologies for disability and development

Students will also be involved in the GDI Hub AT2030 project, a £10 million assistive technology programme that aims to reach three million people worldwide.

Professor Mikko Koria, Associate Dean for Enterprise, Professor of Design Innovation and Director of the Institute for Design Innovation at Loughborough University London commented: “The students who would like to do this can expect something which is a little bit out of the ordinary because it looks at things from very different sides across three universities. 

“It creates a richness around the master’s programme that is unique and exceptional.”

More information on the course can be found here.

View the press release on the Loughborough University website for further information and resources.

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.

Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

Specialising exclusively in postgraduate-level study, Loughborough University London is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers cutting-edge master’s and PhD degrees, as well as business collaboration, research and enterprise opportunities.

The seven specialist institutes at Loughborough University London include: Design Innovation, Digital Technologies, Diplomacy and International Governance, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, International Management, Media and Creative Industries, and Sport Business. Close industry partnerships with a wealth of leading businesses and creative organisations means teaching and learning is informed by real-life challenges and driven by true industry pressures.