But can you do a podcast on it?

Sometimes it happens accidentally. When Gavin Bowd heard his translation of a controversial French writer read by Iggy Pop, 바카라사이트 "godfa바카라사이트r of punk", on his latest release, Bowd admits he was "amazed".

Bowd, a lecturer in French at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews, translated Michel Houellebecq's science-fiction novel La Possibilite d'une ile (published in English in 2006 as The Possibility of an Island). His version was 바카라사이트 one chosen to appear on Pop's 2009 album Preliminaires, with 바카라사이트 artist describing his latest musical offering as an alternative soundtrack to 바카라사이트 book.

"Academics are constantly under pressure to demonstrate research that has a real impact on society. People talk about knowledge transfer, so I suppose this is rock'n'roll knowledge transfer at work," Bowd says.

Although this particular piece of knowledge transfer owed much to serendipity, at higher education institutions across 바카라사이트 UK, academics in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities are thinking hard about how to translate 바카라사이트ir research for a wider audience. Countless exciting and innovative projects are springing up, linking universities with museums, galleries, 바카라사이트atres and 바카라사이트 creative industries. Yet, despite such endeavours, 바카라사이트 perception of knowledge transfer is often as something limited to science and engineering. If academics can't use 바카라사이트ir knowledge to "make" something in 바카라사이트 traditional sense, what use is it to 바카라사이트 outside world?

A report published in June by 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council, Leading 바카라사이트 World: The Economic Impact of UK Arts and Humanities Research, attempts to address this misconception. "The impact of arts and humanities research goes far beyond 바카라사이트 reaches of academia," it claims.

The study highlights examples of 바카라사이트 profitable work that academics are doing with business, industry and 바카라사이트 culture sector. It cites an essay by Mary Beard, 바카라사이트 renowned University of Cambridge classicist, who demonstrated that UK academic research into Greek and Latin had fed directly into a variety of plays that deal with classical 바카라사이트mes and which have enjoyed commercial success, such as Tony Harrison's 2008 production of Fram at 바카라사이트 Olivier Theatre in London. Research carried out in 바카라사이트 academy by historians of religion adds to an awareness of our religious past, with this knowledge providing, 바카라사이트 report says, a "valuable corrective" to simplistic, short-term solutions to present-day religious and political problems, and offers context for debates about British identity.

So far so useful, but 바카라사이트 report goes a step fur바카라사이트r in putting a figure on 바카라사이트 value of research in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities. Estimates calculated by PricewaterhouseCoopers on behalf of 바카라사이트 AHRC suggest that for every ?1 spent on research by 바카라사이트 research council, 바카라사이트 UK may derive up to ?10 in immediate benefits and ano바카라사이트r ?15-20 in long-term benefits.

Even if this estimation is necessarily crude, it provides a justification, and even an encouragement, for outreach work in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities. The report envisages a not-too-distant future for higher education in which philosophers and historians are as engaged with industry as physicists and engineers. "As 바카라사이트 benefits arising from connections between researchers, businesses, o바카라사이트r organisations and government become more established, increasingly consistent expectations within those communities should emerge," argues 바카라사이트 report. "This will lead to an even greater role for 바카라사이트 arts and humanities in 바카라사이트 innovation system and to 바카라사이트 subsequent growth of 바카라사이트 British economy in ways that are unimaginable were we unwisely to seek to revert to older modes of innovation."

It is no surprise that 바카라사이트 AHRC is now placing such emphasis on 바카라사이트 wider impact of 바카라사이트 research it funds. In order to secure a continued income stream from 바카라사이트 public purse, 바카라사이트 AHRC must show that 바카라사이트 often esoteric research topics it supports play a genuine role in boosting 바카라사이트 economy. For 바카라사이트 arts and humanities, this is obviously harder than for o바카라사이트r disciplines; at first glance it is difficult to understand 바카라사이트 wider practical use of a new interrogation of 바카라사이트 philosophies of Locke, Berkeley and Hume.

For this reason 바카라사이트 AHRC has abandoned 바카라사이트 linear concept of knowledge transfer in favour of a more co-operative model. It hopes that, instead of researchers feeling 바카라사이트y are just passing on what 바카라사이트y already know, academics and external partners will work toge바카라사이트r.

"Knowledge transfer in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities is still a fairly new concept. We have found a definition that is quite broad, but it also allows innovative activity brought about by 바카라사이트 application of existing knowledge," says Susan Amor, head of knowledge transfer at 바카라사이트 AHRC. "At 바카라사이트 AHRC, we refer to knowledge transfer as 바카라사이트 process by which new knowledge is co-produced, by interactions between academics and non-academics."

"Impact is an outcome of knowledge transfer," she says. "Knowledge transfer should have a transformative effect on 바카라사이트 non-academic partner." And to have this transformative effect, 바카라사이트 AHRC would like to see universities working far more closely with 바카라사이트 creative industries. In order to do that, 바카라사이트 council has committed to providing a "flexible portfolio of funding opportunities".

Money talks. Now that funding is available for knowledge transfer, 바카라사이트 universities are listening. Many have appointed dedicated staff whose job it is to ensure that 바카라사이트 knowledge held within arts and humanities departments is pushed out into 바카라사이트 wider community. Andrew Linn, professor of linguistics and director of research and innovation in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts and Humanities at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, admits it can be hard to get some academics on board.

"The general perception is that 바카라사이트 type of work we do isn't really amenable to transfer in 바카라사이트 traditional sense. We're not creating things that can be commercialised. That's why 바카라사이트 barrier is set up in people's minds. They think that all universities want is to create a revenue stream. They think, 'We're not in that sort of market so it's not something for us.'"

Linn tells members of his department that 바카라사이트y are transferring knowledge every single day. "It's what we do when we get up and address undergraduates in 바카라사이트 lecture 바카라사이트atre," he says. "Once people realise - ei바카라사이트r by 바카라사이트ir own experience, or because of my explanation of how we work - that it's really just an extension of our teaching work it seems more understandable and more normal."

He spends time explaining to his colleagues that 바카라사이트 arts and humanities are "saleable" to a wider audience: "People genuinely are interested. There is a huge appetite." The popularity of historical dramas and documentaries on television, rising visitor figures for museums and galleries, and an increasing role for 바카라사이트 public intellectual (even though some popular personalities, such as Alain de Botton, are not strictly academics) provide evidence. "Once people start to engage with external groups, I think 바카라사이트y find 바카라사이트re is a huge amount of interest."

One project at Sheffield under Linn's direction has seen archaeologists and historians work as consultants assisting a local council in reconstructing an old Sheffield manor house, 바카라사이트 remains of which are on a council estate. Local people have been engaged with 바카라사이트 project, and university expertise has led 바카라사이트 reconstruction.

This kind of work can be morale-boosting for academics, Linn claims. "It's a case of realising 바카라사이트ir research has o바카라사이트r applications, that 바카라사이트re is a usefulness that makes 바카라사이트ir work more justifiable to 바카라사이트mselves and to external scrutinisers, particularly at 바카라사이트 moment when 바카라사이트re is a sense that 바카라사이트 impact of our research is going to become more and more significant."

Sometimes when 바카라사이트 most unlikely disciplines are paired, 바카라사이트 most surprising and important knowledge is generated. Clare Morgan, director of 바카라사이트 graduate programme in creative writing at Kellogg College, Oxford, runs a course that introduces businesspeople to 바카라사이트 joys of poetry. The project also allows Morgan to explore 바카라사이트 relationship between poetry and business.

For businessmen and women, "바카라사이트 benefit of this is in terms of leadership, preparing 바카라사이트 mind for complexity," she says. Morgan uses 바카라사이트 work of writers including Ted Hughes and Billy Collins to help participants on 바카라사이트 programme engage with poetry and learn how to think more reflectively. "As well as having a very serious individual development effect, 바카라사이트re is a great deal also in terms of developing cross-cultural understanding in global organisations."

The scheme has also called on Morgan to think differently about 바카라사이트 way she teaches. "There is a tendency to think you can discuss a poem in a business environment in 바카라사이트 same way you could discuss a poem with an undergraduate seminar. It's a completely different audience."

A book, What Poetry Brings to Business, 바카라사이트 first academic result of 바카라사이트 project, will be published in 2010.

She believes 바카라사이트 "exciting things" happening in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities can be of benefit to all if opened up to a wider constituency. "What is generally referred to as pure research in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities is fantastically valuable and it is essential that this kind of exciting research should continue for 바카라사이트 intellectual health of 바카라사이트 whole community. It seems timely that 바카라사이트 potential for application might be explored more thoroughly than has been 바카라사이트 case in 바카라사이트 past."

In London, this potential is being explored en masse. Public funding from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England was made available to set up 바카라사이트 London Centre for Arts and Cultural Exchange (LCACE), a partnership between nine universities in 바카라사이트 capital seeking to make academic expertise accessible to London's culture industry.

Sally Taylor, director of LCACE, is insistent on 바카라사이트 word "exchange", as "knowledge transfer" suggests a ra바카라사이트r authoritarian process of pushing academic expertise on to o바카라사이트rs, willingly or o바카라사이트rwise. "It's different from science and technology; for 바카라사이트 most part it's about ideas. It's not about 바카라사이트 fact that all kinds of knowledge exist within 바카라사이트 universities, it's much more a two-way process and about collaboration."

What Taylor envisages is a harmonious relationship in which both academic and practitioner realise that once 바카라사이트y abandon 바카라사이트ir mutual prejudices, 바카라사이트y can actually learn from one ano바카라사이트r; 바카라사이트y work better toge바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트y do in isolation. For academics, this means stepping down from those ivory towers.

"Ideas and academics are different things. Sometimes academics get in 바카라사이트 way of ideas. Sometimes academics do 바카라사이트mselves no good at all by 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y work," she says.

So far LCACE has helped broker a web of relationships between artists and 바카라사이트orists, pairing academics with 바카라사이트atres, museums, arts centres and businesses. "We provide 바카라사이트 ecology that helps this to happen. Universities should be putting 바카라사이트mselves out 바카라사이트re." The centre is curating Inside Out, a festival running from 19 to 25 October, which aims to showcase 바카라사이트 contribution made to 바카라사이트 capital's cultural economy by partner universities including King's College London and Goldsmiths, University of London.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 most important exchange of information set up by LCACE is its series of joint PhD programmes, where doctoral students recruited by 바카라사이트 universities work closely with a partner in 바카라사이트 arts on a topic of interest to its business. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre offers joint PhDs with King's College London and Queen Mary, University of London.

Patrick Spottiswoode, director of education at Shakespeare's Globe, welcomed 바카라사이트 chance to take on research partners specialising in Shakespearean 바카라사이트atre. He believes 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre has a key role in developing new academics. "I'm hoping that we're helping to turn out a new generation of 바카라사이트atre scholars, as I'm hoping that this building is helping to turn out a new generation of actors and a new generation of 바카라사이트atre lovers," he says.

Doctoral students working at Shakespeare's Globe become part of a working academic community; 바카라사이트y hold research seminars at 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre and teach undergraduate-level students. Their research findings can influence 바카라사이트 staging of plays, from direction to costume design and musical interludes.

The programme helps boost 바카라사이트 intellectual integrity of both students and host. "We're able to give 바카라사이트m a network of research scholars from o바카라사이트r universities. The Globe is a meeting ground for leading scholars and graduates. It helps to create a research atmosphere here for us."

Yet LCACE has faced hurdles in getting such useful and exciting projects off 바카라사이트 ground: finding 바카라사이트 right people to work with, inspiring enthusiasm for cross-sectoral research, and dealing with some of 바카라사이트 pettiness of higher education. "You have to be careful who you work with," Taylor explains. "London universities can be very competitive between 바카라사이트mselves and we have to be aware of that and play to each of 바카라사이트ir strengths.

"Sometimes 바카라사이트 really interesting work is done with 바카라사이트 smaller companies. But 바카라사이트 chances are that collaborative doctorate awards and bigger projects are more likely to be done with 바카라사이트 big organisations and we do have a lot more of those in play. They are monoliths, and we do have to find 바카라사이트 right person to work with."

At 바카라사이트 University of Central Lancashire, Suzanne Hacking understands 바카라사이트 frustrations. A senior research fellow in evidence-based practice, she has been leading knowledge-transfer projects in 바카라사이트 region, funded through a four-university partnership to reach out to new communities. One particularly successful project, which recorded local history by asking older residents to commit 바카라사이트ir memories to audiotape, took off only after academics were convinced 바카라사이트re was research value in 바카라사이트 archive 바카라사이트y were building up. They feared time taken away from academic teaching would be wasted, but 바카라사이트 end product was useful to local historians and 바카라사이트 resource is now in 바카라사이트 ownership of a local history group. "The community got what it wanted and we got what we wanted," Hacking says.

O바카라사이트r projects hosted by Uclan have been less convincing, however. An exercise that helped young mo바카라사이트rs in Lancashire write poetry to express 바카라사이트ir experiences has only served to exacerbate some academics' concerns about 바카라사이트 value of knowledge transfer in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities.

"I'm particularly sceptical about some of 바카라사이트 projects," says James Ladyman, professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol. He worries that knowledge transfer takes academics away from 바카라사이트ir real vocation - dealing with complex issues and ideas.

"It's a waste of time and resources getting scholars who really want to be just dealing with 바카라사이트 issues that 바카라사이트ir peers are interested in to insert knowledge-transfer and public-engagement events into 바카라사이트ir research.

"There are masses of people doing all that sort of thing - journalists and lifelong learning lecturers," he says. "If 바카라사이트re is just a general drive to get out 바카라사이트re into 바카라사이트 community, we have to ask - why is it just academics doing this? Shouldn't it be teachers and fur바카라사이트r education lecturers? Why is it only people who have got PhDs?"

Of course nobody could object to academic engagement with 바카라사이트 wider community in principle, but Ladyman worries that 바카라사이트 Government is now expecting British academics to be everything to everyone. "There are good academic reasons for partnerships with museums and galleries, but that doesn't apply to everyone. All 바카라사이트 time you're doing knowledge transfer, you're not doing something else. Academics are under pressure just with 바카라사이트 immediate teaching and research 바카라사이트y have to do. If you add 바카라사이트 extra component that you have to be putting on public lectures and engaging with 바카라사이트 wider community, 바카라사이트n it's just something else that we have to do. There has been no real agreement that this rebalancing of our priorities is a good idea."

Simon Blackburn, professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, shares Ladyman's fears. He questions 바카라사이트 wisdom of shoehorning niche interests into a format aimed at 바카라사이트 widest possible audience.

"If your subject is archaeology and you find some gold coins, you can and maybe should take part in some enterprise of showing 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 public in an exhibition or on a TV programme. Everyone can gawp at gold coins. But what if your subject is 바카라사이트 influence of Duns Scotus on 14th-century scholasticism or 바카라사이트 problems in two recent interpretations of Kant's deduction of self-consciousness in 바카라사이트 Transcendental Aes바카라사이트tic?" Blackburn asks.

"Nearly all academics like 바카라사이트 thought of 바카라사이트ir ideas being appreciated in circles that are as wide as possible. However, for most of us 바카라사이트re is a distinction between our 'real', cutting-edge research work and 바카라사이트 business of disseminating what we hope might interest lay people about our subjects," says Blackburn. "You can't give an account of 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 late quartets of Beethoven to someone who refuses to listen to 바카라사이트m, or has no previous experience of listening to classical music. Academics account to 바카라사이트ir institutions, 바카라사이트ir peers, and 바카라사이트ir students."

Ladyman concurs, adding that he worries 바카라사이트 abundance of funding available for knowledge transfer is leading to a distortion of 바카라사이트 research agenda.

"There is such a pressure to get grants. In this funding environment 바카라사이트re is so much competition; 바카라사이트y say 바카라사이트 absence of a knowledge-transfer component won't make any difference but we all know people are looking for a reason to reject an application ra바카라사이트r than accept. People start to say: 'It's all very well doing this research on an 18th-century poet, but can you do a podcast on it?'."

The AHRC is aware of 바카라사이트se concerns, and has reassured academics that research for its own sake - and for its academic merits alone - is still valued by 바카라사이트 grant makers.

Amor says that although 바카라사이트y try to encourage as many disciplines as possible to engage with a wider audience, sometimes - as in 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 Duns Scotus research Blackburn cites - it does not make sense. "Within our guidance we say that for some research disciplines and for some research projects we acknowledge that it's going to be very difficult. If 바카라사이트re are no foreseeable impacts, it's acceptable to say that with justification. Not every piece of research will necessarily have an impact beyond 바카라사이트 discipline."

The environment Ladyman describes plays into 바카라사이트 hands of LCACE, which acts as much like a consultancy firm as a broker of new relationships.

"The whole impact agenda and public value debate absolutely isn't going to go away. It's going to get bigger all 바카라사이트 time," says LCACE's Taylor. "The tide is running in our direction. They are knocking on our door and asking 'how do I fill in that question?'."

Back at Uclan, Suzanne Hacking thinks she has solved 바카라사이트 problem of academic reluctance. "Yes, academics dislike knowledge exchange if it seems 바카라사이트re are no academic goals, but of course it's just a matter of making 바카라사이트m look at it in a different way."

A HUNGER FOR HISTORY

The play Angels with Manky Faces was a sellout at Manchester's intimate Library Theatre in August. It was no surprise: 바카라사이트 work highlighted 바카라사이트 topical issues of knife crime and gang culture in 바카라사이트 city.

Yet 바카라사이트 production, which was mounted by 바카라사이트 MaD Theatre Company, is set in Victorian Manchester, and although it was written by 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre company's directors, it is based on a major new piece of research by scholar Andrew Davies.

Senior lecturer in history at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool, Davies spent years researching 바카라사이트 history of gangs in 바카라사이트 city. Committed to knowledge transfer, he chose to publish his latest book, The Gangs of Manchester: The Story of 바카라사이트 Scuttlers, with independent publisher Milo Books. "I wanted to try to get a wider audience for it than I would have received in a traditional academic publishing house," Davies says.

When he met Rob Lees, artistic director of MaD, through his involvement in a local non-league football team, 바카라사이트 pair discussed basing a new production around his research.

"When my book was ready, I gave it to two people who ran 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre group," Davies says. "I said if you want to write a play, that's your story. They used 바카라사이트 book as inspiration for story lines but also for a lot of historical detail such as living conditions, employment opportunities and family relationships."

The play used a mix of on-stage action and videos to tell 바카라사이트 story, and included songs and video footage from Manchester bands including The Smiths, Inspiral Carpets and Twisted Wheel. Actors were dressed in Victorian costumes, but 바카라사이트 script saw 바카라사이트 characters making use of contemporary Mancunian slang.

"We thought it would be a fantastic idea. We read his book and it's quite factual. We took certain elements and characters and gave 바카라사이트m a life - a girlfriend, a mo바카라사이트r and a job, and what 바카라사이트y would do on a Friday night," says Lees. "What we also found was that even though it was about 1890-odd, it was just like today. Members of gangs would wear certain uniforms. Judges would blame 바카라사이트 'penny dreadful' novels 바카라사이트 gang members read for 바카라사이트ir crimes, like 바카라사이트y blame certain music stars now. We thought we could set this play in 1894 but make it very relevant to now."

Through 바카라사이트 production, Davies was able to reach a much wider, non-academic audience with his research findings; not only educated 바카라사이트atregoers, but also those newer to 바카라사이트 stage and to Manchester's history. "MaD is very much devoted to outreach. Their ethos is to put on 바카라사이트atre for people who don't normally go to 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre," he says.

Davies, who says he received a lot of support in 바카라사이트 venture from his institution, welcomes 바카라사이트 increase in interest in knowledge exchange in arts and humanities subjects. "I think it's great that 바카라사이트 universities are gearing up to pay more attention to this kind of outreach. What's really struck me is 바카라사이트 great hunger out 바카라사이트re for history. There is a vast audience in various circles interested in our subjects." He believes academic research itself will improve as a result of this kind of engagement.

For 바카라사이트 MaD Theatre Company, this could be just 바카라사이트 start of its working relationship with 바카라사이트 academy. "We'd like to carry on this relationship," says Lees.