Abstract
In recent years growing expectations have been placed upon universities, particularly in relation to their role as drivers of local and regional economic growth. However, rather than drawing on the economic perspective, the research on which this chapter is based is focused on the socio-cultural impact of universities. It discusses some of the findings from the Higher Education and Regional Transformation (HEART) project, which explored the role universities play in the social and cultural experience of the regions, sub-regions and cities within which they are located, and especially in relation to alleviating social disadvantage. The chapter focuses on three themes running through the research project’s case study universities: widening participation, community and civic engagement, and image and cultural attractiveness. These themes help explore the roles universities are performing and the extent to which they are helping to alleviate social disadvantage.
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Notes
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Higher Education and Regional Transformation: social and cultural perspectives—a project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of a larger joint initiative on the ‘Impact of higher education institutions on regional economies’.
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Williams, R., Cochrane, A. (2013). Universities, Regions and Social Disadvantage. In: Benneworth, P. (eds) University Engagement With Socially Excluded Communities. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4875-0_4
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