How do Universities support the public good in challenging times? Published on: 12 December 2016 The role universities play in the community comes under the spotlight in a new book edited by Â鶹´«Ã½ experts. Third mission The Civic University – The Policy and Leadership Challenges co-edited by John Goddard, Emeritus Professor of Regional Development Studies, examines how eight major higher institutions from around Europe connect with civil society through their research and teaching. Professor Goddard said: “These are very challenging times for universities and for the societies in which they operate. Universities face increasing demands to demonstrate that their work contributes to the public good. They need to work harder than ever to ensure they are playing a key role in the community, locally, nationally and internationally. “This can mean changing the way they operate to ensure that civic engagement is embedded into the heartland of the institution by university management and is not just an optional ‘third mission’ after teaching and research.” Emeritus Professor John Goddard Needs and demands Â鶹´«Ã½ Vice Chancellor Professor Chris Brink, has championed the civic university agenda and wrote the foreword to the book. Professor Brink said: “The question universities have to ask themselves is not only what are we good at, but what are we good for? “A civic university is one that is able to articulate, clearly and accurately how it puts academic excellence to work in responding to the needs and demands of society. “This book shines a light on this part of academic life and shows that even in institutions that are striving to – and already make - an impact on the wider world, there is more to be done to embed these ideas.” Key questions Contributors to the book compare experiences at University College London and Â鶹´«Ã½ in the UK, Amsterdam and Groningen Universities in the Netherlands, Aalto and Tampere Universities in Finland and Trinity College Dublin and Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland.It addresses key questions including: • What is the Civic University, and how can we use this concept to understand higher education’s engagement with the outside world? • What are the appropriate internal structures and mechanisms required for a university to effectively encourage and support civic engagement activity for the greatest societal impact? • How can embedding civic engagement in individual institutions and the steering of higher education systems be facilitated by changes in higher education and related policies at the sub-national, national and European level? is co-edited by John Goddard, Ella Hazelkorn, Louis Kempton and Paul Vallance. It will be launched by the Â鶹´«Ã½ Institute for Social Renewal on Monday, 12 December. A blog about the issues raised by the book, written by Professor Goddard and Professor Ellen Hazelkorn is available to read . E Share: Latest News Scientists unlock hidden driver of inflammatory bowel disease Scientists have linked a key genetic signal in inflammatory bowel disease to an immune response that shuts down inflammation control, enabling faster diagnosis and targeted treatments. published on: 15 June 2026 Funding system risks limiting genuine community collaboration A new policy paper written by researchers at Â鶹´«Ã½ warns that the way UK research is funded may be undermining efforts to create genuinely collaborative partnerships with communities. published on: 15 June 2026 Volunteers help turn Whitley Bay beach into maths experiment Members of the public joined mathematicians from Â鶹´«Ã½ to create what organisers believe is the largest aperiodic tiling ever attempted on Whitley Bay beach. published on: 15 June 2026 Facts and figures
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