University summer holidays are ending, but it’s not just students feeling the new-term blues. Many universities are in financial trouble. Proposed measures – like an international student levy – have meant worries about institutions collapsing. Awaiting the Skills White Paper, universities are unsure where they sit on the government’s priority list.
In this context Centre for Cities’ latest briefing – Town and Gown: the role of universities in city economies – sets out their contribution to local economic development in different places. Four cities (Plymouth, Exeter, Coventry and Cambridge) serve as examples of where universities play different economic roles. This blog explores what this means for national and local policymakers.
