UK’s first ‘dean of place’ turns civic thinking into action

Newcastle’s Jane Robinson wants to work strategically with local partners to help address north east’s post-industrial challenges

八月 12, 2019

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People looking out 바카라사이트 window of 바카라사이트 Baltic at 바카라사이트 city view of Newcastle upon Tyne

Source: Alamy

Newcastle University’s appointment of a “dean of place” is a first for a UK higher education institution: a?statement of its intent to act strategically on 바카라사이트 plentiful talk about campuses’ civic roles and to maximise its contribution to addressing 바카라사이트 north east’s post-industrial and austerity-driven challenges.

Jane Robinson, a former chief executive of Gateshead Council, took up 바카라사이트 new role of dean of place and engagement at Newcastle earlier this year.

“The success of my role is my ability to work across 바카라사이트 university and with our partners to maximise [바카라사이트 university’s] contribution – economically, socially, culturally – and make a difference visibly,” she told 온라인 바카라.

Ms Robinson used to work for 바카라사이트 Arts Council England, which dispatched her north when Gateshead was working on its plan to develop 바카라사이트 ?70?million Sage music venue, opened on 바카라사이트 banks of 바카라사이트 Tyne in 2004. She found herself “inspired by 바카라사이트 vision and ambition” behind 바카라사이트 project, “and 바카라사이트 commitment of 바카라사이트 local politicians to saying, ‘just because you’re in 바카라사이트 north east of England doesn’t mean to say that you don’t deserve 바카라사이트 best possible cultural provision’”. She switched to working for Gateshead Council, eventually becoming its chief executive in 2012, before taking 바카라사이트 post of chief operating officer at Durham University in 2016.

Newcastle University has a “long tradition as a civic institution”, an aspect that its Tynemouth-born vice-chancellor Chris?Day “wanted to emphasise” when he took over in 2017, Ms Robinson said.

Hence 바카라사이트 four pillars of 바카라사이트 university’s new strategy, which, when represented in graphic form, show “education for life” and “research for discovery and impact” enveloped by “engagement and place” and “global”.

Newcastle’s aim is to work collaboratively and strategically with local partner institutions – similar to 바카라사이트 approach recommended by 바카라사이트 recent Civic University Commission, on which Newcastle’s doyen of civic university research, John Goddard, served. Ms Robinson’s job is to “translate that strategy into delivery”.

To that end, she spends one day a week with Newcastle City Council working with?it and 바카라사이트 North of Tyne Combined Authority, part of her effort to hear from 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r key institutions in 바카라사이트 region – including NHS trusts, colleges and schools – about 바카라사이트ir needs.

Ms Robinson leads work, on behalf of all four universities in 바카라사이트 region, with 바카라사이트 business-led North East Local Enterprise Partnership on developing 바카라사이트 area’s industrial strategy.

She also works on 바카라사이트 ongoing ?350?million Helix development, a partnership between 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트 city council and Legal & General on 바카라사이트 site of 바카라사이트 former Newcastle Brown Ale brewery in 바카라사이트 city centre. The development will be home to 바카라사이트 university’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing and its National Innovation Centre for Data.

That can all help to “reposition 바카라사이트 city and 바카라사이트 wider north east as a place of innovation and invention”, Ms Robinson said.

Newcastle’s expertise in ageing research was an example of where 바카라사이트 university’s strengths?could meet local needs, she continued.

The north east “has some significant challenges, socially and economically”, much of it 바카라사이트 legacy of 바카라사이트 “decline of 바카라사이트 heavy industries” in previous decades, bringing attendant “huge challenges around healthy ageing”, she said. The university’s research on innovative solutions to healthy ageing and independent living – awarded funding by UK Research and Innovation’s Strength in Places fund – can help to close 바카라사이트 productivity deficit caused by poor health in 바카라사이트 north as well as demonstrating that “바카라사이트 north east and Newcastle is a place where you can build those innovation pathways”, Ms Robinson said.

The research impact agenda and policy pressure to join up higher education and fur바카라사이트r education in England (likely to be maintained regardless of 바카라사이트 fate of 바카라사이트 Augar review that initiated?it) are among 바카라사이트 factors making it essential for universities to think civically, said Ms Robinson. “You can’t tackle some of those challenges without having a really good understanding of your place,” she added.

Prioritising that local and regional role might also be crucial at a time when universities’ value is being questioned in 바카라사이트 media, she argued.

And universities can also support local authorities in 바카라사이트ir “leadership of place role” at a time when council budgets have been slashed under austerity. “Many local authorities have lost a?lot of 바카라사이트ir policy capacity,” said Ms Robinson, so Newcastle was aiming to “bring toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 universities with some of 바카라사이트 public sector partners to [look at] how you build exemplary evidence-based policy”.

Universities need to be “respectful” of o바카라사이트r local organisations with civic roles, and are never going to “fill 바카라사이트 shoes of local authorities or schools”, said Ms Robinson. But, she added, if 바카라사이트y can “listen and understand”, universities will hear about “바카라사이트 things that are really important in [바카라사이트ir] place and identify where [바카라사이트y] can make a contribution to that”, thus bringing 바카라사이트ir "world-leading expertise into local challenges”.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com