From Research to Real-World Impact: Dr Taisiia Mukii at UCL Innovation & Enterprise

 "What happens when research meets entrepreneurship, education and real-world impact? This is a question I have been exploring throughout my recent professional journey  at UCL Innovation and Enterprise "SPERO: Learn for Researchers": I’m delighted to share that I've completed the programme, was selected as one of 10 finalists in the UCL Pitch Competition for Reseachers, received individual mentoring that helped me sharpen my idea and ultimately secure grant funding from Lewisham Council, and was invited by the School’s Director to join a creative focus-group developing a new course for PhD students. I will also be bringing some of these ideas into the lectures I’ll be delivering at UCL School of Management this September-October.

For me, SPERO was much more than a course. It helped me connect the different strands of my work - as a researcher in psychology, AI and education, founder of Wise Parents School, educator, author, STEM-mentor and project lead  -  and see how research, entrepreneurship, learning, wellbeing and social impact can reinforce one another. 

A special thank you to the SPERO teaching team and mentors Warrick Harniess, Mario Moustras for their expertise, generosity and, especially, their personalised guidance. Those one-to-one conversations helped me cut through the noise, focus on what really mattered and turn an idea into a much clearer proposition - with a very tangible outcome. I’m very grateful to the School’s leadership Jerry Allen for the trust, encouragement and opportunities to contribute beyond the programme itself. With huge gratitude to Nataliia Hrytsiuk, I hope my lectures will inspire the aspiring entrepreneurs on the course with valuable insights and help turn their ambitious ideas into meaningful results.

A huge thank you to my fellow participants for the inspiration, meaningful conversations and generous exchange of ideas throughout the programme Russell de Roeper, Andrew Cummins, Grazzielle Lefranc, Dr Xandra Miguel-Lorenzo, Valentyna Bilan, Alina Marm, Julio C. Ortega Cambara.

I’m looking forward to putting everything I’ve learned into practice and inspiring the next generation through my lectures, mentoring, community events, and the development of projects that create meaningful impact."

An Evidence-Informed Approach to Women’s Wellbeing, Resilience and Personal Growth

Woman Who Thrives is a practical wellbeing initiative created by Dr Taisiia Mukii, PhD, bringing together psychological knowledge, evidence-informed reflective practices, experiential learning, creative methods and facilitated social connection. The programme explores how women can develop greater self-awareness, resilience and personal agency while navigating change, relationships, professional transitions, motherhood, migration and other life challenges.

My approach is grounded in the space between research and everyday life: psychological concepts become meaningful when people have an opportunity to experience, reflect on and explore them in practice.

FROM RESEARCH TO REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCE

Rather than simply discussing psychological concepts, Woman Who Thrives creates structured experiences in which participants can observe, reflect, experiment and connect. Different practices are combined according to the purpose of the session. The aim is not to provide predetermined interpretations or tell women how they should feel or live, but to create a space where they can explore their own experiences and identify resources that may support them.

PRACTICE 1 — REFLECTIVE STONE PRACTISE

Making relationships and personal boundaries visible

One of the practices used during Woman Who Thrives is the Stone Reflection Practice.

Participants use physical objects to represent themselves and important people or relationships in their lives. By transforming an internal situation into a visual and tangible representation, participants can observe their relationships from a different perspective.

The practice invites reflection on questions such as:

Who supports me?

Which relationships give me energy?

Which situations feel emotionally demanding?

Where do I position myself in relation to others?

What can I influence?

What is outside my control?

An important psychological distinction emerges through this exercise:

Taking responsibility for what we can influence is not the same as blaming ourselves for everything that happens to us.

The practice can therefore support reflection on relationships, boundaries, personal agency and periods of transition or uncertainty.

International Greenwich Olympiad 2026

It was a great honour and a truly inspiring experience to serve as a judge at the International Greenwich Olympiad 2026 in the categories of Social Sciences and Artificial Intelligence.

This year's Olympiad brought together more than 1,000 participants from 53 countries, showcasing 538 innovative projects. The scale of this event was remarkable and a powerful reminder that the future of science and innovation is being shaped by curious, courageous, and purpose-driven young minds.

As a judge, I had the privilege of seeing how students combine scientific thinking, social responsibility, and the potential of artificial intelligence to address real-world challenges. Their creativity, critical thinking, and commitment to making a positive impact were genuinely inspiring. These young innovators are not simply building technologies - they are creating solutions that have the potential to improve lives.

But the International Greenwich Olympiad is much more than a competition. It is about lifelong connections - the friendships, collaborations, and international partnerships that begin here and continue far beyond the event. These relationships build a global community of people united by a shared vision of a better future.

My sincere gratitude goes to the organisers of the International Greenwich Olympiad for their trust, exceptional organisation, and dedication to creating such a meaningful international platform. I would also like to thank my fellow judge for the engaging discussions, professionalism, and our shared commitment to a fair and thoughtful evaluation process.

I leave this experience with new ideas, new connections, and an even stronger belief in the transformative power of education, science, and international collaboration. This is where the future begins.

#IGO2026 #InternationalGreenwichOlympiad #ArtificialIntelligence #SocialSciences #STEM #Education #Innovation #YoungResearchers #LifelongConnections #GlobalCollaboration