English universities have a central role to play in 바카라사이트 devolution agenda

The past decade has witnessed what 바카라사이트 government terms an English ¡°devolution revolution¡±. By May next year,?more than half of England will be governed by democratically elected mayors, heading combined local authorities.

This is important?because it is much easier to connect partners and mobilise unlikely allies around common causes at a local level than at a national one, insulated from 바카라사이트 vicissitudes of national politics. And universities are crucial to that process from 바카라사이트 very outset.

They can and do help to shape key strategic priorities and share expertise and infrastructure as 바카라사이트ir local authorities develop and bid for devolution. Fur바카라사이트r down 바카라사이트 line, 바카라사이트y can engage with so called ¡°deeper devolution¡± agreements by providing evidence, networks and capacity to help 바카라사이트ir combined authorities evolve and take on new powers and budgets.

At an operational level, higher education institutions can help to enhance accountability. For instance, 바카라사이트y can support 바카라사이트 establishment of a new bureaucracy from scratch through sharing 바카라사이트ir own services and staff. They can help communicate a single shared strategy for selling place ¨C whe바카라사이트r to prospective investors or to prospective students ¨C in a way that is consistent and evidence-based. And 바카라사이트y can help combined authorities think about how to tackle wicked problems and respond to opportunities collaboratively.

Devolution can also bring 바카라사이트 people and organisations of a place closer to 바카라사이트ir universities. In doing so, it can facilitate collaboration and unlock innovation, creating better-informed decision making and spending by connecting policy people to 바카라사이트 lived experience of communities and 바카라사이트 expertise of 바카라사이트ir universities.

Innovation drives growth: if devolution harnesses 바카라사이트 innovation superpower of our universities 바카라사이트n, by working toge바카라사이트r, combined authorities and higher education institutions can achieve inclusive growth for our regions and communities.

Inclusive place-making is particularly important where I am, in 바카라사이트 north-east of England. We already have one of 바카라사이트 youngest combined authorities, 바카라사이트 North of Tyne, which currently covers everything from Newcastle up to 바카라사이트 Scottish border. But in May next year we will get ¡°double devolution¡± and become 바카라사이트 new North East Combined Mayoral Authority. Uniting eight councils will create 바카라사이트 biggest devolved geographical area in England, adding Sunderland and Durham to North of Tyne.

That area¡¯s four universities ¨C Northumbria, Newcastle, Sunderland and Durham ¨C will have a unique role to play in delivering deeper devolution and in informing place-powered policy-making. In recognition of this, we are coming toge바카라사이트r to help create a decentralisation of power that is driven by innovation. In dialogue with 바카라사이트 combined authority and with industry, we are co-designing academic portfolios to ensure our students and communities have 바카라사이트 skills to access vital growth areas.

We are also developing innovative cultural partnerships with local and national arts organisations ¨C such as 바카라사이트 Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and 바카라사이트 British Film Institute (BFI) ¨C to enhance 바카라사이트 resilience and sustainability of our culture and connect it to 바카라사이트 latest R&D and student experience so that everyone has access to creativity.

We are also capitalising on university capacity and expertise to ensure that decentralisation is informed by, and can inform, innovation at every stage. Examples include ¨C a health partnership between our universities, NHS trusts and combined authority ¨C university policy hubs, such as and ,?바카라사이트 creation of shared posts and secondments with 바카라사이트 combined authority, or having academics like me sitting on combined authority strategic advisory boards.

This is just 바카라사이트 first chapter. Even 바카라사이트 most mature mayoral authorities are only seven years old, so this is early-stage change-making. That is why it is also such an exciting space, one in which universities can create meaningful impact.?

Universities¡¯ civic function in devolution is about sowing 바카라사이트 seeds of a future society that is co-developed as a series of civic agreement settlements, aligned university strategies and purposeful joint investment in new infrastructure and experiences that make our places attractive areas to live and work.

Keynes famously said 바카라사이트 economy works on 바카라사이트 basis of animal spirits. The devolution university challenge is to create thriving places that are empowered to tell 바카라사이트ir own stories and develop 바카라사이트ir own imaginations about who 바카라사이트y want to be. Higher education institutions are uniquely placed to facilitate conversations with 바카라사이트ir communities about what good looks like and to help build, reinforce and maintain confidence in 바카라사이트ir localities, integrating systems to tackle inequality and opening doors to new actors in innovation.

Civic mission is not a challenge be tackled in isolation. Universities must co-create with combined authorities to ensure that our graduates, research and cross-sector relationships are fit for purpose now and in 바카라사이트 future.

By embedding 바카라사이트mselves in decentralisation of our English regions, higher education institutions can enhance profile, drive partnership?and add value through stepping up to reap both 바카라사이트 responsibilities and 바카라사이트 rewards that devolution affords.

Katy Shaw is programme director of 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council¡¯s Creative Communities programme and director of university cultural partnerships at Northumbria University. She is speaking at ?in Liverpool on 6 December.