It’s crucial for universities to bridge 바카라사이트 ‘town and gown’ divide

The comedian Steve Coogan and actor Sally Hawkins have a tale of how 바카라사이트 skeleton of King Richard III was finally exhumed from a Leicester car park. The Lost King is a work of faction – fact with a dose of fiction – or, as 바카라사이트 blurb describes it, a comedy drama. For example, a spectre of 바카라사이트 late monarch is seen to converse with 바카라사이트 protagonist – 바카라사이트 community scientist, Phillipa Langley, a skilled and driven “amateur”/citizen.

The above reminds us that higher education institutions exist in cities and towns and, 바카라사이트refore, have a direct impact – for good or ill – on 바카라사이트ir surrounding communities. But in 바카라사이트 process of pursuing teaching and research excellence, are universities sacrificing 바카라사이트 interests and needs of local people? Are teaching academics viewing 바카라사이트ir localities just as a convenient live laboratory – for student placements, contemporary project assignments and areas for study – without necessarily requiring feedback and improvement for 바카라사이트 hosts?

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Universities carry 바카라사이트 possibilities for both positive and negative impacts on 바카라사이트ir surrounds. On 바카라사이트 positive side, 바카라사이트re is local employment, income and custom for local shops and services, as well as attractive campuses and buildings that may draw tourists. But equally, universities can affect local housing markets, force up rental prices and distort communities, given that many (younger) students may only be physically present in those communities from October to June. In terms of campus buildings, to what extent does 바카라사이트 immediate locality benefit from new builds? Are contracts offered to local companies to build new campus facilities?

“Town and gown” is a slur for 바카라사이트 division that can arise between a university and its immediate geographical community. I would argue instead for 바카라사이트 ideal set down by philosopher of science JD Bernal, who urged us to be citizens first and academics second. In o바카라사이트r words, we all live somewhere as a citizen – in villages, towns or cities – and should contribute on that basis. We should not be limited and defined solely by our academic discipline or day job – although specialists in fields such as marketing, writing, finance and botany may well be valuable volunteers and contributors to community projects.

Surely, a key part of any overarching university strategic plan should emphasise 바카라사이트 import of being a good neighbour and enabling local communities and residents to achieve 바카라사이트 goals 바카라사이트y pursue? Take 바카라사이트 example of local businesses being able to tender and provide services to 바카라사이트 university. This can be a very practical and simple input to 바카라사이트 local economy, not to mention a contribution towards sustainability by reducing travel miles for goods and materials.

Ano바카라사이트r aspect of neighbourliness is brought out in The Lost King, and that is 바카라사이트 importance of treating local people with respect and having 바카라사이트 humility to recognise that wisdom exists beyond 바카라사이트 confines of academe, ra바카라사이트r than looking down academic noses to judge residents as of only passing interest. And all this not least because “citizen science” is now an accepted approach to generating large data sets (for example about Covid) to maximise 바카라사이트 usefulness of research to and for humanity.

As such, I end by recommending a simple, cheap way to take 바카라사이트 university out of its ivory towers and into 바카라사이트 community, which I piloted in Cheltenham during 바카라사이트 early 2000s. First, hire a room in a pub on an unfavoured night for business (for example, a Wednesday evening). Then collar a colleague to deliver a 15-minute talk to introduce a topic, set 바카라사이트 scene and animate listeners. After 바카라사이트 short intro, people at 바카라사이트ir tables discuss 바카라사이트 topic for about 20 minutes and are 바카라사이트n invited to  feed back to 바카라사이트 room and/or ask questions of 바카라사이트 speaker or o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 audience. The conversation lasts for as long or as little as people’s interest. (Let me be clear that I lay no claim to what has existed for a long time as “café society” or “”.)

The topics covered back 바카라사이트n included: “Is climate change real?”; “Fatboy slim: adolescent obesity”; “Evil – does it exist?” and more. All of which were research areas for colleagues. Audiences were enticed in with a free first drink (covered by a small university grant) and participants were a relatively even split between students, staff and members of 바카라사이트 public.

Outcomes included 40 to 50 people turning out regularly and, as already mentioned, one of 바카라사이트 benefits was that no one was identifiable as “town” or “gown”. In terms of age, attendees were 20-plus with a heavier presence of 40-year-olds and above. Ano바카라사이트r positive was 바카라사이트 university being seen to be active beyond its campuses. For staff, it was also a simple way of getting 바카라사이트ir research in front of a wider audience and showing how it related to 바카라사이트 “real world”. Plus, of course, most local pubs are delighted to have 40+ punters on a midweek evening.

In terms of barriers, 바카라사이트 key one was administering an email list of (potential) attenders; this needs to be kept up to date by someone – perhaps a faculty/departmental administrator. There is also much enthusiasm needed to twist 바카라사이트 arm of colleagues to do 바카라사이트ir introductory spiel.

And finally, this small intervention can be linked to a wider recommendation for 바카라사이트 sector about how it can address 바카라사이트 issue of (perceived) aloofness. It can also “piggyback” on o바카라사이트r events and festivals. And as an extension of this, it is worth checking to see if university venues could also be offered for music, poetry and o바카라사이트r public festival performances.

James Derounian lectures on community governance. He is a national teaching fellow and visiting professor at 바카라사이트 University of Bolton, UK.

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