Dr. Cornelia Lawson, a research fellow with the STS Priority Group, has published a report on public engagement at the University of Nottingham. The report will be presented at the Technology Transfer Society (T2S) Conference on Technology Transfer, Entrepreneurial Activity and Regional Competitiveness in Bergamo, Italy, on November 8.
The study argues that successful engagement depends on the university’s culture, organisation and policies as well as on the regional demand for scientific research. Building on the theory of the engaged university the report analyses processes that affect engagement within the university, within the region as well as external factors. The study shows that policy changes had a profound impact on how universities see themselves and their regional role. The links between the University of Nottingham and its community have increased as a direct result of these. However, while there is an increasing interest amongst academic staff to participate in community activities and to engage the community in their research, these are not sufficiently rewarded or supported by the university unless they involve commercial partners.
The Technology Transfer Society, founded in 1975, provides an international forum for the exchange of ideas within the technology transfer community. It emphasizes research on management practices and strategies for technology transfer and regional engagement. The society publishes the peer-reviewed and SCI listed journal: The Journal of Technology Transfer.
Posted on Monday 28th October 2013