CUE East is one of six higher education national Beacons for Public Engagement (the Beacons), four year pilots from 2008 – 2012.  The Beacons are leading the effort to foster a change of culture in universities, assisting staff and students to engage with the public.  They aim to provide an informed climate within which universities are all better able to improve quality of life, support social and economic regeneration and inculcate civic values.

For information about the other five Beacons, the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement and the Funders, see About the Beacons for Public Engagement Initiative.  The National Beacons programme is supported by a fund of £9.2 million. The Beacon Funders are the Higher Education Funding Councils, Research Councils UK and The Wellcome Trust.  CUE East is receiving a total of £1.2 million over the four year programme, from January 2008 to December 2011.

CUE East has a Steering Group that meets quarterly and is chaired by Professor Keith Roberts, Emeritus Fellow, John Innes Centre.  Professor Roberts also attends the CUE East team meetings and plays a key role in liaison with the Beacon Funders and the CUE East partner organisations.

CUE East has a number of external Partner Organisations that support the programme either as an active partner e.g. as a member of the Steering Group or in assisting CUE East with the dissemination of the lessons that are being learned through the pilot activities and Case Studies.

CUE East Business Plan
The CUE East Business Plan (2007) was submitted to the Beacon Funders as a part of the bidding process for Beacon status; click here to download a copy.

CUE East provides support, encouragement and training for UEA staff and students, an infrastructure dedicated to building capacity at all levels, funds, facilities and community liaison for developing new activities, and rewards and incentives for individual engagement practitioners.

CUE East also contributes to the continuing development of UEA’s strategy on Enterprise & Engagement and to the new and emerging national agenda on public and community engagement in higher education.  In 2008 UEA’s new Corporate Plan incorporated the objective,

‘to expand our contribution to public policy and public engagement’

CUE East is both inward and outward-looking
The CUE East core vision is built on the clear understanding that successful university-community engagement requires as much attention to inward-looking activities at the university as the outward-looking engagement activities themselves.

Inward-looking activities - CUE East aims to start to change the culture within the University during the four year pilot.  The intention is to embed public and community engagement as a worthwhile activity in itself that enhances teaching and research.  Over time, CUE East is looking to review and refresh internal processes, procedures and structures, such as the appraisal and promotions criteria, so that public engagement can be encouraged, recognised, and rewarded.

• Engagement CPD Programme: a professional development programme for UEA and Norwich Research Park staff and students.  See Professional Development Opportunities (for UEA staff and students only).
• Enhancement Fund: resources that enable us to rapidly build on the key Beacon activities that are well established e.g. The Teacher Scientist Network and the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.  This will encourage their embedment and extension, often into other subject areas. See Awards and Funding from CUE East.
• Incentives and Rewards Scheme: a fund that, with appropriate guidance, identifies and rewards key individuals who make significant contributions in this area of activity.  For information about the 2008/09 CUE East Individual Awards see Case Studies.

Outward-looking activities - a key feature of CUE East is a presence at the Forum, located off campus which provides a city contact point in the centre of Norwich where university staff and students can use the digital facilities for their public and community engagement activities.

• Listening, Liaison, Brokerage and Research: a bottom-up and listening approach.
• UEA at the Forum: Liane Ward, CUE East Operations Manager, is located off-campus in the Forum, hosted by BBC Voices. UEA at the Forum is generously supported by The Forum Trust and May Gurney plc.
• Sustainable Living Partnership Fund: funding for new and innovative engagement projects and activities.  See Awards and Funding from CUE East.

For more information about the culture of UEA in relation to public and community engagement and CUE East and the CUE East Logic Model 2009, see More about CUE East.