A New Imperative: Regions and Higher Education in Difficult Times(Universities and Lifelong Learning)

At a time in history when global challenges are becoming more intractable and threatening, it makes sense to draw on the specialist expertise of our universities. Much of government interest in doing so has typically focused on the major research institutions with their records of new discovery and invention. However, there is extensive evidence that the greatest opportunities are at regional level. Despite globalisation, regions are becoming more and more important as sites of identity and policy intervention. Regions can take their futures into their own hands, and their local universities are a crucial resource of expertise to support these initiatives. However, there have been significant barriers to effective cooperation between universities and their regional authorities. This book provides an analysis of these circumstances and draws on an international research project to point academics, policy makers and practitioners in the right direction. It provides extensive evidence from this project to support its argument.

Table of Contents:
Introduction – Regions and universities in the post-2008 world Part 1 Towards mode two knowledge production 1. Complexity and diversity – the ‘global problematique’ 2. Governance and the changing ‘three sectors’ 3. Two key partners: (1) The region Part 2 PURE findings: leading policy issues 4. Two key partners : (2) Higher Education 5. Pascal and the PURE project 6. Social inclusion and active citizenship 7. The new ecological imperative – green skills and jobs 8. Culture and creativity 9. Entrepreneurship and SMEs: regions and innovation systems 10. The audit era and organisational learning – benchmarking and impact Part 3 Learning and partnership processes, wider policy reflections 11. The PURE project and inter-regional learning 12. Regions, central government power and policy-making 13. Engaging horizontally – leading, partnering, learning 14. Wider reflections: engaging with the new imperative Annex: Twelve policy implications, twenty-one questions and answers Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Chris Duke is Visiting Professor at the University of Glasgow, and at RMIT University in Melbourne, and founding Secretary General of Pascal International Observatory Michael Osborne is Professor of Adult and Lifelong Learning , Director of the Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning, and Co-Director of PASCAL, University of Glasgow Bruce Wilson is Professor and Director of the European Union Centre at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and a former Co-Director of Pascal International Observatory