The Engage Watermark is an award granted by the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) to higher education institutions to recognise their strategic support for public engagement and their commitment to improve the support offered.
The Watermark process invites universities to reflect on their current public engagement practice— assessing the understanding and awareness of public engagement, the support for high quality engagement activities, and the institution’s strategic intent—through a university-wide survey, a series of site-visits, and one-to-one interviews. Universities can then use the recommendations to develop a robust plan to enhance their engagement work moving forward.
In 2021, Queen Mary became the first institution to receive a Platinum Engage Watermark, awarded to institutions which are beacons of excellence in the support on offer for public engagement.