This twelve month research and dissemination exercise will explore the case for a leadership development programme to support managers from universities and their civic partners who are responsible for building bridges between higher education and cities. Consultation will take place in the English Core Cities of Bristol, Newcastle and Sheffield, involving senior managers from both pre and post 92 universities, and their partners in the public and private sectors. The programme will establish the foundation for an emergent national leadership programme, the first of its kind, which will provide both the generic knowledge and skills vital to partnership working.
Universities are increasingly being asked to engage with a range of activities in partnership with local government (e.g. education, housing, planning and transportation), the health service, the private sector (e.g. enterprise agencies, Chambers of Commerce, business leadership teams), and those bodies representing the arts, culture and sport. The requirement for effective ‘boundary spanning’ in these partnerships creates significant leadership challenges on both sides. Currently, however, there is little best practice to refer to in this area.
The research project, including interviews with key strategic university and civic leaders in all three cities, will scope the need for a leadership programme and accompanying resources to fill this gap. It will explore: the social and economic benefits of successful partnership working for cities; the specific challenges faced by leaders on both sides; what particular skills or qualities are required for effective leadership in this context; and how future leaders could be best identified and developed as part of the programme. Intended outputs from the research will include: a series of feedback presentations to participants in the research and other specialists in the field; dissemination of research findings through academic publications; and the development of a pilot programme with the Leadership Foundation
Project Team:
Principal Investigator: Professor John Goddard (formerly DVC Newcastle University)
Project Manger: Lynne Howlett, (Leadership and Management Development Manager, Newcastle University)
Principal Researcher: Dr Paul Vallance (Centre for Urban & Regional Development Studies, Newcastle University)
Special Advisor: Dr Tom Kennie ( Programme Director, TMP and Key Associate, Leadership Foundation for Higher Education)
More information about the Researching and Scoping Higher Education and Civic Leadership Programme will appear on this website as the project develops.
Last updated: 8 April 2009