Louise Kempton – författare

There have been several attempts in recent years to create conceptual frameworks and models to help universities and policy makers understand the role and contribution of higher education to local and regional development. However, these models have failed to fully reflect or give insufficient attention to the impact of the regional context (economic, social, political), the policy environment for higher education and territorial development and the diversity of management and leadership structures of universities themselves. This has led to the development of static models that rarely work outside of the immediate context in which they were developed and therefore risk leading to design of policies that are not fit for purpose.

This Policy Expo is the result of work with partners in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia to develop a new approach, the ORPHIC Framework, to think about how the university can be adapted to the specificity of institutional and local contexts. The book examines:

• What are the different roles that universities play in local and regional development and how do these manifest themselves?

• How can we learn from comparing practice and experience internationally, and to what extent are policies aimed at promoting university–region relationships transferrable?

• What are the internal university factors, such as management and leadership, history, mission, structures, and the external factors, such as territorial development policy context, governance system, nature of the ‘place’, that might help us explain the nature of the relationship?

There have been several attempts in recent years to create conceptual frameworks and models to help universities and policy makers understand the role and contribution of higher education to local and regional development. However, these models have failed to fully reflect or give insufficient attention to the impact of the regional context (economic, social, political), the policy environment for higher education and territorial development and the diversity of management and leadership structures of universities themselves. This has led to the development of static models that rarely work outside of the immediate context in which they were developed and therefore risk leading to design of policies that are not fit for purpose.

This Policy Expo is the result of work with partners in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia to develop a new approach, the ORPHIC Framework, to think about how the university can be adapted to the specificity of institutional and local contexts. The book examines:

• What are the different roles that universities play in local and regional development and how do these manifest themselves?

• How can we learn from comparing practice and experience internationally, and to what extent are policies aimed at promoting university–region relationships transferrable?

• What are the internal university factors, such as management and leadership, history, mission, structures, and the external factors, such as territorial development policy context, governance system, nature of the ‘place’, that might help us explain the nature of the relationship?

The book highlights the need for a progressive consolidation between technical and soft skills, knowledge of digital tools, and ethical considerations in order to prepare students for the jobs of the future. Adopting a cross-disciplinary perspective, expert contributors argue that to fulfil their civic role, modern universities must develop a new humanism, placing the enhancement of human potential at its core. They draw on their diverse practical experience to show how intellectual growth, creativity, constructive criticism and a wide deployment of technologies can contribute to this goal.

Combining theoretical and empirical insights, this book is an invaluable resource for those working in management education and academic governance, as well as students and scholars of entrepreneurship. It is also a vital read for academic staff and higher education policy makers seeking to equip students for success in an era of uncertainty, dynamicity and turbulence.