Universities and civic engagement: a critique and a prospectus

Keynote address for the 2nd biennial “Inside-out” Conference on the civic role of universities -

“Charting Uncertainty: capital, community and citizenship”

University of Queensland, Ipswich3 July 2003

by Sir David Watson

University of Brighton

Introduction: some dilemmas of engagement

“Engagement implies strenuous, thoughtful, argumentative interaction with the non-university world in at least four spheres: setting universities’ aims, purposes and priorities; relating teaching and learning to the wider world; the back-and-forth dialogue between researchers and practitioners; and taking on wider responsibilities as neighbours and citizens”.

(ACU, 2001: i)

“As powerful, cosmopolitan, moral and intellectual enterprises dedicated to the betterment of humanity, universities are now uniquely capable of leading and sustaining a global social movement to accelerate human progress towards participatory democratic schooling systems and participatory democratic societies.”

(University of Pennsylvania, 2001)

“The skills of a nation’s workforce and the quality of its infrastructure are what makes it unique and uniquely attractive in the world economy…so important are these public amenities, in particular the university and the airport, that their presence would stimulate some collective analytical effort, even on a parched desert or frozen tundra. A world class university and an international airport combine the basic ingredients of global symbolic analysis: brains and quick access to the rest of the world.”

(NCIHE, 1997: 190)

“As well as securing our economic future, learning has a wider contribution. It helps make ours a civilised society, develops the spiritual side of our lives and promotes active citizenship. Learning enables people to play a full part in their community. It strengthens the family, the neighbourhood and consequently the nation. It helps us fulfil our potential and opens doors to a love of music, art and literature. That is why we value learning for its own sake, as well as for the equality of opportunity it brings.”

(DfEE, 1998: foreword)

• conservative and radical

• critical and supportive

• competitive and collegial

• autonomous and accountable

• private and public

• excellent and equal

• entrepreneurial and caring

• certain and provisional

• traditional and innovative

• ceremonial and iconoclastic

• local and international

“Inside-out” developments

• epistemology

Mode 1 and Mode 2

• Pure• Disciplinary• Homogeneous• Expert-led• Supply-driven• Hierarchical• Peer-reviewed• University-based

• Applied• Problem-centred • Transdisciplinary• Heterogeneous• Hybrid• Demand-driven• Entrepreneurial• Network-embedded

(Gibbons et al. 1994)

“Inside-out” developments

• epistemology

• curriculum

Chart 1: Percentage change in student numbers by subject area, 1994/5 to 1999/2000

-20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Medicine & Dentistry

Subjects Allied to Medicine

Biological Sciences

Veterinary Science

Agriculture & Related Subjects

P hysical Sciences

Mathematical Sciences

Computer Science

Engineering & Technology

Architecture, Building & P lanning

Social, Economic & P olitical Studies

Law

Business & Administrative Studies

Librarianship & Information Science

Languages

Humanities

Creative Arts & Design

Education

Combined

All subjects average change = +18%

Source: UUK 2002

“Inside-out” developments

• epistemology

• curriculum

• the students’ “social sphere”

“In their speech, our respondents recognised four circuits: (i) those of student peers; (ii) the intergenerational; (iii) that of imagined ‘abstract others’ as recipients of state welfare; (iv) and the formal constitutional dimension of their relationship to state and government. These circuits were governed by principles such as fairness, altruism, reciprocity and responsibility that we will sum up in the more general term, ‘mutuality.’ …. The moralising of extended relationships in this manner counters both the fears of those who believe that the absence of a language of formal citizenship indicates privatised withdrawal and those who would wish to celebrate the primacy of calculative individualism.”

(Ahier et al. 2002:141)

“Inside-out” developments

• epistemology

• curriculum

• the students’ “social sphere”

• wider benefits

• new models of capability

The Information Age Mindset

• Computers aren’t technology

• Internet better than TV

• Reality no longer real

• Doing rather than knowing

• Nintendo over Logic

• Multitasking a way of life

• Typing rather than handwriting

• Staying connected

• Zero tolerance for delays

• Consumer/Creator blurring

Based on Frand (2000)

“Inside-out” developments

• epistemology

• curriculum

• the students’ “social sphere”

• wider benefits

• new models of capability

• life-styles

2nd yearstudents withdebts of over

£1000(2002 prices)

Uptake ofstudent loans

Regularemploymentin term time

Use of a car Use of a

computer

2002 47% 89% 54%16+ hours per

week29%

46% 80%

2000 41% 78% 51%16+ hours per

week32%

52% 74%

1998 42% 68% 45%16+ hours per

week31%

47% 66%

1996 30% 56% 36%16+ hours per

week20%

1994 22% 43% 34%16+ hours per

week18%

1992 17% 40% 30%16+ hours per

week11%

Source: Banks and Winn 2002

University of Brighton: Student Finance Survey

“Inside-out” developments

• epistemology

• curriculum • the students’ “social sphere”

• wider benefits

• new models of capability

• life-styles

• the academic profession

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Less than 30 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65 and over

Age band

Per

cen

tag

e o

f st

aff

19952000

Age profile of permanent academic staff: 1995 and 2000

Source: HEFCE 2002

“Inside-out” developments

• epistemology

• curriculum • the students’ “social sphere”

• wider benefits

• new models of capability

• life-styles

• the academic profession

“Outside-in” developments

• rival centres of reference

• social polarisation

• educational inflation

• public confidence

8459It is important for me to know about science

8272Science research should be supported by the Government (even if no immediate benefits)

7243The benefits of science are greater than harmful effects

3844Science makes our lives change too fast

8667S&T make our lives better

US20012

UK20001

% agreement

Public attitudes to science and technology: UK/US comparison

1Science and the Public 2000

2NSF science and engineering indicators 2002

Professor David King

Marie Jahoda Lecture 9 October 2002

“Outside-in” developments

• rival centres of reference

• social polarisation

• educational inflation

• public confidence

• economic utility

•the rise of the “creative class”

The US class structure, 1900-1999

Source: Florida 2002

“Outside-in” developments

• rival centres of reference

• social polarisation

• educational inflation

• public confidence

• economic utility

•the rise of the “creative class”

•political controversy

The global challenge

• ethics

• indigenous development

• intellectual property

“Today when we talk of globally applicable laws, no national laws, least of all American laws, can serve as a role model. This is because so far laws have been made to safeguard national or local interests. Global laws require fresh thinking. When the world was Euro-centric, it was easy to define what was new. If Europe did not know of it, it did not exist before: the ‘first European to produce metallic zinc’ could be granted a patent (1738), but not the inventor of the telescope 100 years previously, ‘on the ground that it is evident that several others have knowledge of its invention.’ By the same logic, if the knowledge is available anywhere in the world today, it should not be possible to patent it.”

(Kochhar, 2002)

The global challenge

• ethics

• indigenous development

• intellectual property

• quality

• global citizenship

The challenge of engagement

• We need to understand and build on our history.

• We need to be more conscious of the public interest in universities, and our obligations to maintain and develop it.

• We need to internalise the principles of working in partnership.

Conference themes

• capital: human, social and creative

• community

www.brighton.ac.uk/cupp

Conference themes

• capital: human, social and creative

• community

• citizenship

The successful 21st century university • It has to devise an excellent portfolio of courses, and teach them well. • It has to contribute at the highest level in at least some aspects of research. • It has to engage with its community, economically and culturally. • It has to be a comfortable and enjoyable place to work for everyone:

students and staff of all kinds. • It has to be, and be seen to be, ethically and environmentally responsible. • It has to earn and sustain a positive reputation, locally, nationally and

internationally. • It has to be able to recruit and to retain good students and good staff. • It has to understand itself, where it has come from, what challenges and

what opportunities it faces, and how to meet these. • It has progressively to play a part in improving the domains in which it

works, like education, the environment, or health. • Not least, it has to live through its graduates and its external clients,

wherever they are and whatever they do.