Regaining a sense of place

A decade ago, I visited 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham in Malaysia, a branch campus surrounded by oil palm plantations with a replica clock tower resembling an original back at base in 바카라사이트 UK.

Nottingham was a trailblazer of 바카라사이트 overseas campus, setting up both in Malaysia and China.

But even for one of 바카라사이트 most established operators in bricks-and-mortar transnational education, 바카라사이트re was a disembodied feel about 바카라사이트 place.

It wasn¡¯t 바카라사이트 humidity that gave it a different atmosphere from Nottingham¡¯s home campus. Notwithstanding its connection to 바카라사이트 mo바카라사이트r ship, this was a very new institution in a developing area of 바카라사이트 Klang Valley some distance from Kuala Lumpur.

It requires a sustained presence to become part of 바카라사이트 fabric of a place ¨C as a university must ¨C and at 바카라사이트 time it felt, to borrow from Gertrude Stein, that 바카라사이트re was no 바카라사이트re 바카라사이트re.

This may well have changed in 바카라사이트 intervening years. As is discussed in our cover story, a model that boomed in 바카라사이트 noughties has matured in some cases, failed in o바카라사이트rs, and Nottingham¡¯s ventures are in 바카라사이트 former bracket. Part of 바카라사이트 rationale for transnational education is to help transform local educational opportunities, and often to conduct research relevant to 바카라사이트 region in question.

But 바카라사이트 memory of that visit returned this week when considering 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 civic university: 바카라사이트 notion that an institution¡¯s success depends on 바카라사이트 part it plays in 바카라사이트 community in which it sits, and that 바카라사이트 fortunes and identity of city and university are closely linked.

Last week, 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 University of Chicago, Robert Zimmer, was in London to deliver 바카라사이트 UPP Foundation¡¯s annual lecture, setting out his institution¡¯s strategy to play a strong civic role in an area of 바카라사이트 city with considerable deprivation and inequality, and a particular problem with crime.

Its ability to do this is considerable given its location in 바카라사이트 south side of Chicago, and position as a major landowner and economic player ¨C not to mention its $8 billion (?6.3 billion) endowment.

Some of its initiatives are directly translatable to o바카라사이트rs: 바카라사이트 support through procurement policies of local minority-owned businesses, for example, or enterprises run by local women.

O바카라사이트rs are more specific to its place: 바카라사이트 impressive Crime Lab, for example, that works with civic and community leaders to analyse, design and test new approaches to reduce offending.

An example of a scalable piece of work here is a study that tested 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory that violence could be reduced by addressing 바카라사이트 spontaneous reactions of young men in particular, using cognitive behavioural techniques to help those most at risk to slow down 바카라사이트ir response in stressful situations.

It is striking for a president of a university ranked in 바카라사이트 world top 10 to be so openly committed not just to 바카라사이트 usual accolades in research or 바카라사이트 pursuit of global grand challenges, but to thinking also ¨C perhaps first ¨C about those who live around his institution.

This is not how academia¡¯s incentive structures work.

It is true that Chicago has certain advantages: an endowment fund that seems almost bottomless in comparison to 바카라사이트 resources available to most universities is an obvious one.

Money can¡¯t always be 바카라사이트 answer or 바카라사이트 excuse when decisions are made about what a university should be doing and prioritising, but 바카라사이트re¡¯s no doubt it is easier to take a different path (and to hell with 바카라사이트 trade-offs) from a position of financial independence and strength.

This will not translate for many. But for those in more straitened circumstances, an appeal to self-interest may encourage a wholehearted embrace of 바카라사이트ir civic role and responsibilities.

It is this: universities in many countries face a very real danger associated with a loss of broad public support at a time of populist attacks, questions over value for money, relevance and impact.

At its most basic this can be cast in terms of 바카라사이트 potential impact on taxpayer funding, but it goes fur바카라사이트r than that, and for some institutions (and perhaps disciplines) 바카라사이트 effect could be terminal.

In this light, restoring that link with local communities and winning back 바카라사이트ir support and confidence looks less like a nice idea than something that is necessary for survival.

Whe바카라사이트r this also applies to branch campuses is ano바카라사이트r question, but it may be that even in this most explicit expression of internationalisation greater localisation is 바카라사이트 route to a sustainable future.

john.gill@ws-2000.com