The Civic University

The Civic University
Author: John Goddard
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Total Pages: 341
Release: 2016-12-30
Genre: Education
ISBN: 178471772X

This innovative book addresses the leadership and management challenges of maximising the contribution of universities to civil society both locally and globally. It does this by developing a model of the civic university as an academic concept, drawing out practical lessons for university management on how to embed civic engagement in the heartland of the university. To this end, the contributors compare experiences and reports on a developmental process in eight institutions: University College London and Newcastle University in the UK, Amsterdam and Groningen Universities in the Netherlands, Aalto and Tampere Universities in Finland and Trinity College Dublin and Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland. It will be of interest to academics of politics, public policy and management studies, as well as having relevance to policymakers in the field.

The Engaged University

The Engaged University
Author: David Watson
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2011-07-15
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1136738444

The Engaged University is a comprehensive empirical account of the global civic engagement movement in higher education. In universities around the world, something extraordinary is underway. Mobilizing their human and intellectual resources, institutions of higher education are directly tackling community problems – combating poverty, improving public health, and restoring environmental quality. This book documents and analyzes this exciting trend through studies of civic engagement and social responsibility at twenty institutions worldwide. This timely volume offers three special contributions to the literature on higher education policy and practice: a historical overview of the founding purposes of universities, which almost invariably included a context-specific element of social purpose, together with a survey of how these "founding" intentions have fared in different systems of higher education; a contemporary account of the policy and practice of universities – all over the world – seeking to re-engage with this social purpose; and an overview of generic issues which emerge for the "engaged university."

University-community Partnerships

University-community Partnerships
Author: Tracy Soska
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 279
Release: 2005
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0789028352

Examines the roles that social workers have played in the expanding efforts by universities to respond to the social, economic, educational, health & civic needs of their local & regional communities.

The University and the City

The University and the City
Author: John Goddard
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2013-02-11
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1135082758

Universities are being seen as key urban institutions by researchers and policy makers around the world. They are global players with significant local direct and indirect impacts – on employment, the built environment, business innovation and the wider society. The University and the City explores these impacts and in the process seeks to expose the extent to which universities are just in the city, or part of the city and actively contributing to its development. The precise expression of the emerging relationship between universities and cities is highly contingent on national and local circumstances. The book is therefore grounded in original research into the experience of the UK and selected English provincial cities, with a focus on the role of universities in addressing the challenges of environmental sustainability, health and cultural development. These case studies are set in the context of reviews of the international evidence on the links between universities and the urban economy, their role in ‘place making’ and in the local community. The book reveals the need to build a stronger bridge between policy and practice in the fields of urban development and higher education underpinned by sound theory if the full potential of universities as urban institutions is to be realised. Those working in the field of development therefore need to acquire a better understanding of universities and those in higher education of urban development. The insights from both sides contained in The University and the City provide a platform on which to build well founded university and city partnerships across the world.

Geographies of the University

Geographies of the University
Author: Laura Suarsana
Publisher:
Total Pages: 670
Release: 2020-10-08
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9781013273100

This open access volume raises awareness of the histories, geographies, and practices of universities and analyzes their role as key actors in today's global knowledge economy. Universities are centers of research, teaching, and expertise with significant economic, social, and cultural impacts at different geographical scales. Scholars from a variety of disciplines and countries offer original analyses and discussions along five main themes: historical perspectives on the university as a site of knowledge production, cultural encounter, and political interest; institutional perspectives on university governance and the creation of innovative environments; relationships between universities and the city; the impact of universities on national and regional economies and cultures; and the processes of internationalization through student mobility, the creation of education hubs, and global regionalism in higher education. This work was published by Saint Philip Street Press pursuant to a Creative Commons license permitting commercial use. All rights not granted by the work's license are retained by the author or authors.

Reframing the Civic University

Reframing the Civic University
Author: Julian Dobson
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2023-02-13
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3031176863

This book addresses the need for a comprehensive reappraisal of what it means to be a ‘civic university’. For two decades the ‘civic’ agenda has been driven by a concern with economic impact and regional economic development. While recognising the importance of these aspects of universities’ civic influence, there is a need to more comprehensively outline how universities can and should make a difference across a wide spectrum of place-based activity, against a background of intensifying global social and environmental challenges. Rooted in collaborative work by the Civic University Network and community-based partners, the book provides a clear logical framework that universities and their partners can use to examine the extent of their civic activities, but also challenges them to use that framework as a starting point for deeper reflection and engagement. It celebrates the actions universities have taken to respond to communities’ needs, and encourages them to think more rigorously about what they can do in the future, and how they can become more accountable to the communities they serve. The book is an essential read for university leaders, academics involved in public engagement, and civic leaders and representatives who wish to develop closer engagement with their local universities.

Creating the New African University

Creating the New African University
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2023-05-25
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9004677437

Creating the New African University grapples with the existence of African universities, particularly in post-independent Africa, where Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are supposed to live up to the expectations of being adaptive in dealing with prevalent complex, dynamic contemporary and future challenges facing African societies. The book tackles the issue of what ought to be done for African universities to maintain a structure and identity that ensures their relevance in Africa’s development through generating and transforming knowledge into actions for the common good. It engages issues within the context of how post-colonial transformative obligations have been managed in light of the prevalent epistemological and pedagogical underpinnings that form the foundations of these universities as they seek to break from the clutches of colonial legacies. This book further highlights an urgent need to do away with silos and embrace a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary dialogical approach towards knowledge generation. Such an approach is essential in efforts aimed at enhancing the sustainable reconfiguration of university structures and functions whilst linking knowledge produced to diverse social, economic and political facets of African societies in ways that promote and sustain competitiveness in a rapidly globalising world beset with technological advancements.

Volunteer Involvement in UK Universities

Volunteer Involvement in UK Universities
Author: Jurgen Grotz
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 153
Release: 2023
Genre: Community and college
ISBN: 3031450582

Providing a comprehensive overview of volunteer involvement in UK universities, this book addresses a distinct and substantive policy and management issue. Offering examples of volunteer involvement with students, staff, alumni and communities from 148 UK Higher Education Institutions, it provides important background to understanding volunteer involvement. It also introduces key concepts for critically assessing ways in which those who seek to involve volunteers can respond to rapidly changing environments. Drawing on a combination of theoretical perspectives and practical experiences the book systematically explores approaches based on the current structures of volunteer involvement in UK universities, which provides accessible insights for Higher Education Institutions into how they can effectively organise volunteer involvement and maximise its societal impact. Developing 10 indicators with measures to evidence universities strategic approaches and achievements in community-university relations, the book offers practical ways to plan, enable, monitor, and assess the impact of volunteer involvement in universities. Jurgen Grotz is a Senior Research Fellow, and the Director of the Institute for Volunteering Research at the University of East Anglia, UK.

The Responsive University and the Crisis in South Africa

The Responsive University and the Crisis in South Africa
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 397
Release: 2021-05-31
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9004465618

The Responsive University puts forward the proposition that the societal legitimacy of universities depends on whether and how they respond to societal challenges. This issue is exemplified in South Africa, one of the most unequal countries in the world.

Exploring Research Impact in Academia and Why It Matters

Exploring Research Impact in Academia and Why It Matters
Author: Andy Phippen
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 155
Release: 2024-12-02
Genre: Education
ISBN: 104026218X

Posing fundamental questions around the worth of knowledge creation and the social value of in-depth research, this volume offers a novel approach by exploring why impact is important in academic research, rather than explaining how it should be conducted. Using qualitative data to unpack what research impact really constitutes, this book foregrounds the practicalities of achieving impactful, high-quality academic research, and argues for the importance of best practice in instilling public and reputational value of research for wider societal gain. Chapters unpack the concept of impact, and discuss how it can be made more tangible and realisable, particularly in the context of theoretical or pure research where research outcomes are often obscure. Calling for greater clarity in how to articulate the value of impact within research strategies, the book will ultimately argue for the central role of impact in core research processes and support the development of career researchers in their practical roles and identity formation. The book will be of interest to academics and postgraduate students involved with research methods, research policy, and higher education more broadly. Despite the predominantly UK-based context of the research, the volume will have resonance in countries where knowledge economy concepts have impacted on higher education policy and practice, and so research managers and higher education policy advisors may also find the book of interest.