Universities UK has just published a short but critical paper on the role of universities as ‘connective anchors’ that bridge the local, national and international arena together.
Author James Ransom presents characteristics of how universities have contributed to cities – something that we in HE know well – however he emphasises this through understanding universities as ’embedded’ and networked within the urban fabric, delivering social capital, preparing citizens for future developments, being a critical pillar in agglomeration economies, and acting as a key player within the process of cities functioning as ‘test beds’ for technologies, policies, and so on.
While the paper is a light-read, it outlines key areas – both obvious and subtle – that both HE-focused organisations and other disciplines should take on board and investigate further.