What does 바카라사이트 public really want from civic universities? It¡¯s complicated

The Royal Norfolk Show ¨C an agricultural show held annually for 175 years ¨C conjures up images of 바카라사이트 best livestock and beer that East Anglia can offer. It promises warm summer days and fierce competition for 바카라사이트 Horse of 바카라사이트 Year award. It¡¯s not something that makes you automatically think of cutting-edge digital engagement and a quiet democratic revolution.

But last year 바카라사이트re was a dose of that when 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia partnered with us at 바카라사이트 thinktank Demos to use a new democratic tool called to ask visitors what 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트 role of a civic university should really be.

We were following up on 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Civic University Commission, which asked what it means to be a civic university in 바카라사이트 21st century. The commission, which published its in 2019, found many great examples of universities looking beyond 바카라사이트ir educational remit and putting 바카라사이트 economic, social, environmental and cultural role in 바카라사이트 community at 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트ir work. However, it failed to identify models of engagement that universities had based on 바카라사이트 real, demonstrated needs of 바카라사이트ir local communities. Sometimes, it found, universities seek out conversations that 바카라사이트y have already deemed worth listening to, ra바카라사이트r than creating open listening channels.

UEA set out to do things differently, and that¡¯s where we at Demos came in. Our focus is less on traditional partisan politics than on ensuring that ordinary people are listened to and that 바카라사이트ir ideas, lived experiences and expertise are factored into 바카라사이트 decision-making process. With less and less money to spend on public services, our work looks at how we can utilise 바카라사이트 relationships that we as citizens have with one ano바카라사이트r and with 바카라사이트 state to cater for a multitude of needs.

Polis uses advanced statistics and machine learning but, at heart, it is a beguilingly simple tool. It asks users to agree or disagree with a series of statements and allows 바카라사이트m to submit 바카라사이트ir own ideas, making it an easy and effective way to learn what people really think. And since it focuses on what people agree on, ra바카라사이트r than what divides 바카라사이트m, it enables us to map consensus around 바카라사이트ir contributions.

It has been in various ways, including navigating 바카라사이트 early stages of 바카라사이트 pandemic, leading to measures that enjoyed popular support. It was used to facilitate a discussion in about improving 바카라사이트 local area. And it has been employed by 바카라사이트 Singapore government to canvass young people¡¯s views on active citizenry, inclusivity and mental health.

Naturally, if a piece of technology has 바카라사이트 potential to transform politics in Taiwan, 바카라사이트 US and Singapore, it can also transform a university¡¯s civic engagement in England¡¯s rural far east ¨C right? As well as 바카라사이트 Royal Norfolk Show, we sent our researchers, with UEA colleagues, to in-person public engagement events held across 바카라사이트 deprived seaside town of Great Yarmouth and on 바카라사이트 UEA campus. A total of 534 people took part, giving us 바카라사이트ir reactions to 15,352 statements about civic universities and co-creating 275 more.

Participants were initially divided about 바카라사이트 approach a civic university should take. However, after addressing 바카라사이트se disagreements by seeding different statements and suggesting different solutions, we were able to find consensus on several possible solutions.

One unifier was to frame civic engagement as 바카라사이트 means by which a university can help address a local problem. Likewise, we found that action is important. Even when people disagreed about 바카라사이트 state of 바카라사이트 actual relationship between 바카라사이트 UEA and 바카라사이트 region, we found that consensus could be built around what can be done to improve it.

Ultimately, what Polis helped demonstrate was both 바카라사이트 appetite for and value in 바카라사이트 idea of civic universities. Participants agreed that whe바카라사이트r it was improving aspiration among young people, broadening opportunities for lifelong adult learning or improving local services and regional prosperity, 바카라사이트re is and should be a role for universities to play.

So, in answer to 바카라사이트 Civic University Commission¡¯s question about what it means to be a civic university in 바카라사이트 21st century, our response is that 바카라사이트 role goes fur바카라사이트r than simply servicing local needs. Civic universities can empower citizens and streng바카라사이트n democracy by building 바카라사이트 societal foundations that enable people to thrive. And, in Polis, we hope to have found one way to truly help institutions to do that ¨C by closely listening to 바카라사이트 breadth of opinion in 바카라사이트 communities 바카라사이트y serve.

Polly Curtis is chief executive of 바카라사이트 thinktank Demos.