{"id":51330,"date":"2020-03-09T13:17:44","date_gmt":"2020-03-09T20:17:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=51330"},"modified":"2020-03-09T13:17:44","modified_gmt":"2020-03-09T20:17:44","slug":"universities-need-to-look-outwards-their-local-economic-and-social-impact-really-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/universities-need-to-look-outwards-their-local-economic-and-social-impact-really-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Universities need to look outwards: their local economic and social impact really matters"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

The idea that universities should look outwards, and locally, is a key component of the modern university. But one that is often downplayed or even ignored.<\/p>\n

The Conservatives\u2019 2019 election manifesto contained a rather surprising but welcome reference to the link between universities and the prosperity of\u00a0local towns and communities<\/a>. It said \u201cwe will work with local universities to do more for the education, health and prosperity of their local area\u201d and to \u201cstrengthen universities and colleges\u2019 civic role\u201d.<\/p>\n

Of course, in many ways the principal impact of universities has always been local.\u00a0Many universities were created<\/a>\u00a0as the explicit product of civic economic and social commitment. Though in recent decades their\u00a0national and international roles<\/a>\u00a0have tended to gain most focus.<\/p>\n

Further thought now needs to be given to the positive role universities can play in contesting the\u00a0negative effects of globalisation<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0widespread economic desolation<\/a>\u00a0it has brought with it in some areas. Effects that have caused tens of millions of people to lose faith in the capacity of the economic and social system to address their day-to-day problems.<\/p>\n

Such people have turned towards populist political leaders of both right and left, who speak against the status quo \u2013 as the 2016\u00a0Brexit referendum and US presidential election<\/a>\u00a0demonstrate. In 2019, this feeling led to the destruction of Labour\u2019s \u201cred wall<\/a>\u201d in England and\u00a0Boris Johnson\u2019s general election victory<\/a>. Indeed,\u00a0polarised societies<\/a>\u00a0have become a real threat to economic and social stability.<\/p>\n

Global innovation<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Economic protection and trade barriers cannot regenerate areas\u00a0desolated by the decline of traditional industries<\/a>\u00a0such as coal, steel, shipbuilding and cars. Nor can state actions or welfare protections \u2013 save in the very short term. Instead, such areas need to rediscover their competitive advantage and prosperity.<\/p>\n

Books like\u00a0The Smartest Places on Earth: Why Rustbelts are the Emerging Hotspots of Global Innovation<\/a>\u00a0by Antoine van Agtmael and Fred Bakker, show how so-called \u201crustbelt\u201d cities are becoming new centres of global innovation. Cities once known for steel production and heavy industry \u2013 such as Akron, Ohio and Albany, New York in the US and\u00a0Eindhoven in the Netherlands<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 are now creating new sources of economic strength.<\/p>\n

The book emphasises the importance of a wide variety of initiatives to promote interdisciplinary collaboration. This includes working partnerships between universities and business to find new products \u2013 along with the education of workers and the \u201ccollaborations of local and regional politicians, entrepreneurs and scientists\u201d who can come together to achieve this.<\/p>\n

The role of universities<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Universities, working locally with creativity and innovation,\u00a0offer the best hope<\/a>\u00a0of creating the new economic competitive advantage these places need. With their associated schools and colleges they are also best placed to provide education and training to help sustain a modern workforce and support new economic activity.<\/p>\n

In my recent book with Ed Byrne,\u00a0The University Challenge<\/a>, we look at how universities can help economies and societies to adapt and respond to the grand challenges the world faces, from tackling climate change to harnessing artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n

More systematic analysis of how best this can be achieved is now needed. And this means looking at places that are doing it right. Examples in the UK include places such as Derby, Lincoln, Northampton and Worcester \u2013 all of which have benefited from the\u00a0impact of new universities<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most of the local economic impact of universities has come as a result of the efforts of the institutions themselves. But a partnership with national and international government would help to recognise and encourage this contribution to local economic development.<\/p>\n

Governments also need to contribute to a university\u2019s strategic thinking to maximise the impact of university research across government and the wider society. This is best done at a local or regional level, for example through a mayor, who will usually be better able to engage than national government.<\/p>\n

Engines for equality<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Universities also have a substantial local civic role to promote an intellectually engaging climate and culture. The importance of this has risen in the increasingly polarised post-globalisation society with its\u00a0disdain for facts and realities<\/a>\u00a0and their replacement by \u201cfake news<\/a>\u201d. This \u201canti-science\u201d culture is fundamentally harmful to the whole university ethic and is very dangerous to society.<\/p>\n

There is no national template for this. Universities need to determine the best activity by\u00a0engaging directly with the priorities and concerns<\/a>\u00a0of their local community.<\/p>\n

But by engaging with local schools and colleges, helping communities become more sustainable with\u00a0high quality public services<\/a>\u00a0and helping to build social cohesion and erode social divisions, universities can help to dismantle these divides.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, universities need to choose between being \u201cengines for equality\u201d or \u201cengines of inequality\u201d. The choice should be clear.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Charles Clarke is Visiting Professor at King’s College London<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The idea that universities should look outwards, and locally, is a key component of the modern university. But one that is often downplayed or even ignored. The Conservatives\u2019 2019 election manifesto contained a rather surprising but welcome reference to the link between universities and the prosperity of\u00a0local towns and communities. It said \u201cwe will work […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":51331,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[351575],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-51330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-higher-education","tag-social-commitment"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUniversities need to look outwards: their local economic and social impact really matters - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/universities-need-to-look-outwards-their-local-economic-and-social-impact-really-matters\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Universities need to look outwards: their local economic and social impact really matters - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The idea that universities should look outwards, and locally, is a key component of the modern university. 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