The Engaged University – UK Style

In the United Kingdom there is a movement for research universities to better engage the public. The “Manifesto for Public Engagement”, as defined by the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement [NCCPE], is listed below:

We believe that universities and research institutes have a major responsibility to contribute to society through their public engagement, and that they have much to gain in return.

We are committed to sharing our knowledge, resources and skills with the public, and to listening to and learning from the expertise and insight of the different communities with which we engage.

We are committed to developing our approach to managing, supporting and delivering public engagement for the benefit of staff, students and the public, and to sharing what we learn about effective practice.

A study by the UK Innovation Research Centre defines Four Modes of Interactions between Academics and External Organizations. (See: ‘Knowledge Exchange between Academics and Business, Public and Third Sectors,’Maria Abreu, Vadim Grinevich, Alan Hughes and Michael Kitson, uk-irc, (PDF))

People Based Activities

1. attend conference
2. participate in networks
3. give invited lecture
4. sit on advisory board
5. assist with student placements
6. employee training
7. standard setting forums
8. curriculum development

Community Based Activities

1. give lecture for community
2. school projects
3. community exhibitions
4. community-based supports

Problem Solving Activities

1. informal advice
2. joint research
3. joint publication
4. consultancy
5. contract research
6. research consortia
7. hosting of personnel
8. protyping and testing

Commercialization Activities

1. formed consultancy
2. patent
3. licensed research
4. company startup

Public engagement describes the myriad of ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public. Engagement is by definition a two-way process, involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit.  (See: http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/what)

– from the pen of Dr. Percy Trappe