Queen Mary to play key role in national campaign for Civic University agenda

Queen Mary University of London is set to play a key role in Civic 2.0, a new national initiative which aims to strengthen the role of universities in their towns, cities, and regions.

Building on the legacy of the UPP Foundation’s Civic University Commission and the Civic University Network, Civic 2.0 will combine the pillars of policy advocacy with sector-wide capacity building to ensure universities deliver maximum social and economic benefit for the places they serve.

The policy advocacy pillar, which will be led by Richard Brabner, former Executive Chair of the UPP Foundation, will campaign and advocate regionally and nationally for the civic university agenda. It aims to support policy makers across the political spectrum to recognise the positive impact universities have in their places and the policies required to leverage that impact further for economic and social progress. This will include policies which drive local economic growth, attract investment, and provide opportunities in towns, cities and regions across the UK.

As part of this work Brabner will work closely with Queen Mary, other founding partners, the University of Birmingham, Newcastle University and the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE), and Midlands Innovation, to advance this agenda and develop practical, evidence-based proposals to advance the role of universities in the places they are part of, including connecting them with business, the NHS, local government, schools and colleges.

A consortium-led initiative, the founding partners will each play a key role in delivering Civic 2.0. Queen Mary will chair the steering group overseeing the two pillars, while the University of Birmingham will act as the hub for the policy work, and the NCCPE will host the Civic University Network. This work builds on Queen Mary’s strong civic work to date, including most recently the launch of a new toolkit to support universities and others to develop equitable partnerships in their civic engagement activities. 

Dr Philippa Lloyd, Vice-Principal Policy and Strategic Partnerships at Queen Mary said: “As a founding partner of the Civic University Network and the National Civic Impact Accelerator, Queen Mary University of London is proud to play a leading role in shaping the next phase of civic engagement across the UK. The civic responsibility of universities has never been more critical in addressing national and regional challenges. We remain committed to sustaining the momentum built in recent years and to deepening our impact through place-based partnerships that deliver meaningful change and progress on the ground for the people of this country.”

Richard Brabner, LPIP Fellow University of Birmingham & Visiting Professor for Civic Engagement, Newcastle University said: “Universities have made significant progress on the civic university agenda in recent years, but policy incentives continue to point in the wrong direction. I’m delighted to work with outstanding partners to build a campaign that unlocks policy solutions and amplifies the positive impact higher education has on our towns, cities, and regions.”

To find out more about Queen Mary's Civic University Agreement in, with and for East London, visit www.qmul.ac.uk/civic

Read more:

• Queen Mary resource to support equitable partnerships in civic engagement work - Queen Mary University of London
• Download the Civic Engagement Toolkit
• Sustainable development goals