Have you ever wondered what it would be like if UEA was more readily involved in your local community?
Our interview with Eastern Daily Press introduces the reasons, aims, and details of our civic mission across Norfolk and Suffolk.
Anchor institutions [like UEA] have power to affect the quality of life in their region. But we need to make sure that power is used effectively. Universities need to demonstrate their value within society – in the local community as well as internationally.
Laura Bowater, project leader
In order to do this, our project team has planned a journey across the Norfolk/Suffolk region. Using a democratic meeting format, we aim to gather your ideas on what civic activities could do for local areas.
By the end, we’re going to have an encyclopedia of ideas from across Norfolk and Suffolk. We will then distil the essence of all those conversations down to just one paragraph explaining what a civic university means to the region.
It’s an adventure to find out what people want from us as a civic university. So please, come along and surprise us!
Katja Taits, project intern
Why get involved?
The background
The Civic University Network was set up by Sheffield Hallam University to encourage stronger links between universities and their local areas.
They suggested that universities - as anchor institutions and non-profit organisations - don't just have a duty to teach. They should also be a key resource and a positive force in their local areas.
So far, nearly 60 UK universities have signed up to be part of the official network - including UEA.
But we haven't yet sealed the deal by writing a Civic University Agreement. Before we do this, we want to tour the region to ask what you - our local community - want. We'll use the knowledge you share to make sure our agreement suits our local area specifically.
Hopes for the future
We want to help Norfolk and Suffolk thrive. And we need you to help us find the right ideas to make good things happen.
We'd love you to join in with one of our events across the region. You can share your ideas, meet like-minded people, and tell us how we can become a better institution for your area.