Angus Giving the Beltane Cheer, Photographer: Ove Hansen

Beacons for Public Engagement – funded by the UK funding councils, Research Councils UK and the Wellcome Trust Embedding a culture of public engagement in Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s). Edinburgh Beltane Beacon North-East Manchester Wales Beacon CUE East UCL The National Coordinating Centre

What is Public Engagement?

“Public engagement describes the many ways in which higher education institutions and their staff and students can connect and share their work with the public. Done well, it generates mutual benefit, with all parties learning from each other through sharing knowledge, expertise and skills. In the process, it can build trust, understanding and collaboration, and increase the sector's relevance to, and impact on, civil society.” – National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE)

Communities of place & interest The general public Community organisations Voluntary orgs and charities NGOs Social enterprises Businesses Enterprise agencies Regional strategic bodies Regional / national govt Schools and colleges Public engagement Civic engagement Community engagement Business engagement Local authorities Defining the territory: universities and engagement Potential stakeholders or partners

What we do Nationwide Scottish Parliament Dialogue about Engaged Universities Sharing best practice Institutional Missions Internal Support Public Engagement Strategies Reward and Recognition Strategic Partnerships Individual Fellowships Formal & Informal Learning Opportunities to Engage Networking

We believe that universities and research institutes have a major responsibility to contribute to society through their public engagement, and that they have much to gain in return. We are committed to sharing our knowledge, resources and skills with the public, and to listening to and learning from the expertise and insight of the different communities with which we engage. We are committed to developing our approach to managing, supporting and delivering public engagement for the benefit of staff, students and the public, and to sharing what we learn about effective practice.

Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research A single, unambiguous statement of the expectations and responsibilities of research funders with respect to public engagement Provides guidance for those who receive our funding to better value, recognise and support public engagement

What Next?