CiviCon 2024: Civic University Network conference (UK)

The UK’s Civic University Network conference, CiviCon24, was held on 18-20 June 2024 at Sheffield Hallam University (UK), focusing on the role of universities in driving civic engagement and social impact. The conference brought together leaders, academics, and professionals from the higher education sector to explore how universities can better serve their local communities.

On Day 2 of CiviCon24, a plenary session titled “International Perspectives on Civic Universities” showcased how universities globally are leveraging their civic roles to drive meaningful change, during which the Erasmus+ SPACE project was presented. Hosted by Sara Hassan from the University of Birmingham, an expert in urban and transport planning, the session highlighted key figures in the field of civic engagement. The panel included John Goddard OBE, a pioneer in university-city collaborations from Newcastle University, who shared insights from his extensive experience in regional development. Sjoerd Louwaars, founder of Onbound.org, discussed innovative boundary-spanning projects linking universities and communities. Raffaele Trapasso, from the OECD, provided an international perspective on entrepreneurship education and its role in fostering social impact. Des McNulty, an Honorary Fellow at the University of Glasgow, delved into his research on child poverty and health determinants, emphasizing how civic universities can influence public policy and social outcomes.

Finally, Thomas Farnell (Institute for the Development of Education, Croatia) added further depth by presented the work of the TEFCE, SHEFCE and SPACE projects (funded through Erasmus+) and how these projects are contributing to building a movement to support community engagement in higher education in Europe.

The session offered a rich exchange of ideas on how universities can be catalysts for change in their local and global contexts.

Further information: CiviCon24