1. The University in its Place: the social and cultural impact of universities John Brennan Centre for Higher Education Research and Information, the Open University

2. The ‘impact’ of higher education Beyond the ‘economic’ Beyond the ‘reproductive’ Winners and losers Diverse HE systems and diverse societies The effects of history and geography Lessons from the UK case

3. The UK project Higher Education and Regional Transformation (HEART): social and cultural perspectives 4 contrasting UK universities and their regions Impacts on disadvantaged groups and communities ‘Discourses’, ‘engagement’ and ‘impact’ The views of universities and their stakeholders

4. Areas of focus Local partnerships to extend participation in higher education to socially disadvantaged groups The ‘cultural presence’ of HEIs in disadvantaged communities The civic role of HEIs and their constituences Local employment opportunities and their constituences

5. Regions are different……. …. in terms of their Geographical location Communications (degree of isolation) Clarity of their boundaries (defining the region) Economic profile Social and ethnic mix Extent of mobility (inward/outward) Extent of population loyalty/identity Image/confidence Stability/change Educational provision

6. Universities are different…. …..in terms of ‘who’ their students are ‘where’ they come from ‘why’ they come ‘what’ they experience where they ‘go’ to the university’s ‘embeddedness’ in its region (history and context) the ‘balance’ between teaching & research and the regional relevance/focus of both ‘rewards’ and ‘incentives’ for staff extent and nature of ‘partnerships’ Extent and nature of ‘institutional change’

7. Universities and their regions Universities interact with their regions in different ways (types of engagement and impact) Universities influence what is possible within their regions Regions influence what is possible within their universities

8. Social and cultural perspectives Connecting the economic with the social/cultural -Social mobility opportunities are affected by economic developments -Aspirations may also be affected -But economic developments affected by ‘aspirations’, ‘confidence’ & ‘identity’

9. Social and cultural perspectives (2) Connecting the social/cultural with the economic -Cultural ‘attractiveness’ (‘high’ culture) may attract inward investment and mobility -Cultural ‘diversity’ may or may not have economic implications but may be influenced by HE (inflows and outflows of students and staff)

10. Social and cultural perspectives (3) The cultural is important in its own right -Cohesion or segmentation/fragmentation/conflict: does HE play a role? -Notions of ‘active citizenship’: e.g. student volunteering, staff on school governing bodies -Notions of ‘university as good neighbour’: e.g. senior staff serving on key regional agencies -Notions of ‘image’, ‘attractiveness’ and ‘confidence’ of a region

11. Social and cultural perspectives (4) The role of the public sector -Role of HEIs in producing labour force for key public sector agencies (health service, schools, local govt etc) -Initial training and CPD -Important to current residents but also in attractiveness of region to inward investors (and individuals)

12. The case studies: commonalities and differences in terms of…… Universities and economic development (including significance of regional agendas to university missions and significance of universities to regional agendas) Regional and university ‘images’, local and institutional ‘cultures’, the relationships between them and the drivers of change Aspirations and opportunities for personal change and social mobility and the role of universities in shaping & facilitating these Universities and their support for active citizenship, their contribution to regional leadership and co-ordination of the ‘public good’ The role of universities in tackling social inequalities & relative disadvantage

13. Connecting themes…. Importance of history and geography Balancing regional/national/international missions & activities Recognising the ‘strategic’ and the ‘structural’ Balancing ‘imports’ and ‘exports’ Distinguishing ‘image’ & ‘reality’ – both important Distinguishing ‘discourses’, ‘activities’ & ‘impacts’ The problem of ‘impact’ – timescales & causality ‘Initiatives’ and ‘normal business’ ‘Intended’ and ‘unintended’ outcomes Institutional drivers and strategies Mechanisms of communication and collaboration

14. ‘What’ is being transformed (or not)? The economy – through a) workforce development, b) R&D (knowledge transfer) Image Aspirations Opportunities Local cultures and relationships Inequalities and relative disadvantage Notions of citizenship Leadership and co-ordination capacities

15. ‘Who’ is being transformed (or not)? A particular locality or a larger region? Social class or ethnicity? Age and gender? Individuals or groups? Direct and indirect effects

16. The social impact of higher education: the Ljubljana case The ‘capital city’ dilemma Looking ‘out’ v looking ‘in’ Handling ‘differentiation’ in a small system Local v global ‘only show in town’ Close to ‘power’ Public goods: ‘which’ publics?