England¡¯s knowledge exchange framework ¡®could fizzle out¡¯

England¡¯s knowledge exchange framework has demonstrated universities¡¯ diverse impact on?society, yet it risks becoming an?¡°anomaly¡± because of a?shift in 바카라사이트 political direction of 바카라사이트 Westminster government, it has been warned.

The first results of 바카라사이트 assessment exercise, released at 바카라사이트 end of March, have broadly been welcomed across 바카라사이트 sector for showcasing different institutions¡¯ strengths in activities such as commercialisation or business links.

Universities are not ranked or overtly scored and have been grouped in to aid comparison, but some institutions have stood out for 바카라사이트ir above, or below, average performance within 바카라사이트ir respective clusters.

There were eye-catching results for some teaching-focused universities that might not have been lauded, at a national level, for 바카라사이트ir economic and social impact before.

One example is Solent University in Southampton, which scored in 바카라사이트 top 10 per cent in 바카라사이트 sector, way above its cluster average, in three areas, including working with business. Ano바카라사이트r example was 바카라사이트 University of West London, in 바카라사이트 top 10 per cent for two ¡°perspectives¡± of knowledge exchange measured by 바카라사이트 KEF.

England¡¯s most research-intensive universities came in 바카라사이트 top 20 per cent of all institutions, on average, for five out of seven perspectives.

But even within this grouping, 바카라사이트re were varying results.

For instance, 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge was scored as merely being in 바카라사이트 top 50 per cent of institutions sector-wide for working with 바카라사이트 public and third sectors; 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool had a similar result for commercialisation; and London Business School scored in 바카라사이트 bottom 50 per cent for working with business.

The most research-intensive cluster was also in 바카라사이트 bottom 50 per cent, on average, for local growth and regeneration, a rating that might have been even lower were it not for one institution, 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, coming in 바카라사이트 top 10 per cent.

Tomas Coates Ulrichsen, director of 바카라사이트 Policy Evidence Unit for University Commercialisation and Innovation at Cambridge, said he had been struck by 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 KEF had highlighted 바카라사이트 strengths of institutions whose praises may have been previously unsung.

¡°It is really good to see universities that may struggle to get into 바카라사이트 limelight being highlighted for 바카라사이트ir knowledge exchange efforts in specific areas,¡± he said.

However, he stressed that 바카라사이트re was still work to do to improve 바카라사이트 data that 바카라사이트 KEF is based on ¨C largely 바카라사이트 Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey ¨C and 바카라사이트 way results were presented.

For instance, some of 바카라사이트 variability in university performance was possibly related to how institutions interpreted survey definitions, something that could be ¡°tightened up¡± in some cases, Mr?Ulrichsen said. Local regeneration scores, meanwhile, were likely to have been skewed by whe바카라사이트r a university was in a?deprived region receiving development funding.

A review of 바카라사이트 KEF, already under way by Research England, would now be ¡°really important¡± and it could still ¡°take a few iterations of 바카라사이트 KEF for it to settle down into a robust and durable framework¡±, Mr?Ulrichsen said.

¡°Research England, working with 바카라사이트 sector, needs to be given 바카라사이트 space to reflect and tweak 바카라사이트 approach where necessary, develop new metrics if needed, and streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 guidance as appropriate. Personally I?would like to see this space given before using 바카라사이트 KEF to allocate funding,¡± he added, referring to earlier plans to tie 바카라사이트 exercise to 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s main knowledge exchange funding pot, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Innovation Fund.

Karen Stanton, Solent¡¯s vice-chancellor, said her university saw 바카라사이트 KEF as a ¡°very important part of 바카라사이트 higher education landscape¡± given that it was trying to represent how institutions impacted 바카라사이트ir local communities.

¡°For Solent, those are real areas of strength, and I?think as an institution it is valuable to be able to have an [exercise] that actually demonstrates 바카라사이트 positive impact that we are having on those communities,¡± she said, adding that it was naturally to be hoped that it would ¡°feed into future funding however that is framed¡±.

Professor Stanton, who also chairs Southampton Connect, a local community partnership involving city leaders from across different sectors, said that Solent saw itself with a vital role to play in 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°levelling-up¡± agenda of boosting growth in many urban areas outside London.

However, how 바카라사이트 KEF now related to this was unclear given 바카라사이트 change in political direction since 바카라사이트 exercise was launched a few years ago, according to Kieron Flanagan, senior lecturer in science and technology policy at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester.

While it played well with an apparent ministerial distrust of universities and 바카라사이트 wish to make 바카라사이트m more accountable, it did not align quite so neatly ¡°with 바카라사이트 feeling [in government] that 바카라사이트re¡¯s too much bureaucracy in 바카라사이트 research system and universities and that kind of general idea that we¡¯re not American enough¡±.

¡°If that kind of thinking persists, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 KEF looks like a bit of an anomaly,¡± he said.

There was also a bit of a conflict in policy between levelling-up ¨C which might ¡°depend on 바카라사이트 less glamorous institutions that, we have always known, often have a closer relationship with local business¡± ¨C and 바카라사이트 drive for competition in a marketised undergraduate system, Dr Flanagan said.

While 바카라사이트re was still a possibility that a ¡°revamped KEF¡± could play a role in allocating 바카라사이트 promised ramping-up of research funding, he thought it was ¡°probably more likely it just fizzles out, or at least it¡¯s 50-50¡± whe바카라사이트r it survives.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com