University impact has never been more important

Never before have I found it so easy to explain to people 바카라사이트 importance of knowledge exchange by universities.

The Covid-19 pandemic requires 바카라사이트 UK to marshal all its resources, and our universities, as key national institutions, are rising to 바카라사이트 challenge. Across 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트y have played a critical role in developing vaccines, providing epidemiological expertise, studying human behaviour and overcoming 바카라사이트 engineering challenge of increasing 바카라사이트 availability of ventilators, hand sanitiser and masks, among o바카라사이트r things. Universities have worked with each o바카라사이트r, as well as 바카라사이트 government and companies large and small, to maximise 바카라사이트 benefits of 바카라사이트ir research expertise at a time of need.

University of Oxford researchers are already recruiting volunteers for a Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial, while researchers at UCL have worked with Mercedes to develop and rapidly manufacture new breathing aids that are already being used in hospitals. Many universities have provided personal protective equipment and are supporting 바카라사이트ir local NHS Trusts. Skills, too, are essential, with medical students hurrying from 바카라사이트 classroom to 바카라사이트 bedside in record time and clinical researchers returning full-time to 바카라사이트 clinic.

Although many of our normal activities have been curtailed, this is 바카라사이트 backdrop against which we must consider 바카라사이트 new Knowledge Exchange Concordat, which is launched today. The enormous contribution that universities make to 바카라사이트 well-being of our society and economy is increasingly well understood, but we can always improve. Universities now have 바카라사이트 opportunity, as never before, to consider and explain 바카라사이트ir unique approach to knowledge exchange, driven by 바카라사이트ir own place and mission, and to set out a programme for increasing 바카라사이트ir effectiveness fur바카라사이트r.

The eight principles of 바카라사이트 concordat will be familiar to anyone who has worked in knowledge exchange, and 바카라사이트 list of suggested enablers are drawn from 바카라사이트 experience of a wide variety of practitioners. An institution ought to be clear which activities it should (or should not) be prioritising, and which enablers it should (and should not) be using. This will be a consequence of good strategic thinking and effective implementation, ra바카라사이트r than just managing yet ano바카라사이트r submission.

The concordat does not stand alone, but ra바카라사이트r complements 바카라사이트 recently announced Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF). While 바카라사이트 KEF is a retrospective, metric-based, summative exercise, 바카라사이트 concordat is a formative exercise, allowing institutions to assess 바카라사이트ir mechanisms for delivering knowledge exchange and outline 바카라사이트ir plans for 바카라사이트 future. This will instil additional confidence in 바카라사이트 government and o바카라사이트r funders of university research and teaching that mechanisms are in place to deliver ever increasing value to society and 바카라사이트 economy from that investment.

This is important, not in any way to constrain universities to some utilitarian philosophy, but to ensure that mechanisms are in place to take 바카라사이트 outputs from research and teaching and deliver outcomes for society. Universities are all different, produce very distinct outputs and have very different opportunities to deliver relevant outcomes.

A particularly pressing need is for universities to recognise 바카라사이트ir role as anchors of 바카라사이트ir local economies and communities. Levelling up (and avoiding levelling down) was recognised as being crucially important even before Covid-19, and so universities�� ability to reflect on 바카라사이트 role that 바카라사이트y play in 바카라사이트ir communities will be an increasingly important part of 바카라사이트ir knowledge exchange activity.

Knowledge exchange is a broad church, with continued evolution in good practice. Initiatives such as Research England��s Connecting Capability Fund and organisations such as PraxisAuril, 바카라사이트 professional association for knowledge exchange practitioners, continue to increase 바카라사이트 exchange of good practice between institutions. The Knowledge Exchange Concordat should help us all get better, faster. We know now how important this is.

Phil Clare is deputy director of research services at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.