Being civic…
For all the turbulence of the last decade, one theme which remains at the forefront of our politics is the need to address regional inequality.
Within higher education, it’s a theme that many university leaders have embraced. Why wouldn’t this be central to what universities are about? Many of us were set up as civic institutions, are key anchors within our towns and cities, and contribute in multiple ways to local economies, communities, culture and much more.
It’s also a theme which chimes with many of our students and staff.
Yet we often find ourselves having to make the case for universities to be seen as central to this agenda. The Levelling Up White Paper was notably quiet on the role of universities, and we struggled to engage on it politically. Locally, we’ve often been more successful, but again we’ve not always achieved the strategic influence or recognition which we might seek.
