AND THE CITY THE UNIVERSITY - Uni Frankfurt
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APRIL 2015
Supplement to Times Higher Education
THE UNIVERSITY
AND THE CITY
GOETHE UNIVERSITY FRANKFURT
Political sphere Economic sphere Civic engagement Networks and alliances
Includes lead article by Lesley Wilson, European University Association university-and-city.com
2 UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY APRIL 2015
The university and the city
Autonomy of universities,
autonomy of cities?
New insights
A university can only thrive in an attractive location, and if cities and universities, citing the examples of EUROCITIES,
cities want to succeed in today’s global knowledge economy, of which Birmingham was a founding member, as well as
they need good universities and their graduates. Surprising- Universitas 21 and a set of strategic partnerships that the
ly, the symbiotic relationship between cities and universities University of Birmingham entertains. They conclude that
has received little attention in both research and practice. As the university and city are of immense mutual benefit.
an autonomous institution that is firmly grounded in the City of With the examples of Shanghai, Krakow and Frank
Frankfurt, Goethe University brought together ten prominent furt, The economic sphere demonstrates the symbiotic rela
partner universities and their host cities to discuss the role of tionship between universities and city-regions. A universi
Rainer Klump, autonomy in the university–city link. ty facilitates the production of knowledge and innovation,
University of Luxembourg, produces a highly skilled workforce and helps market the
formerly Goethe University
W ithin these pages, we set out the main ideas discus
sed at this conference. The secretary general of the
European University Association sets the scene and makes
host city as a global centre in the knowledge economy. In
turn, cities ought to provide a favourable environment for
higher education to prosper. A piece on Prague focuses on
a compelling case for autonomy as a vital precondition for related issues of economic transition for Eastern European
the success of Europe’s universities. Only with financial universities and cities, and the economic opportunities and
sustainability, legislative stability and freedom from short- pressures for their students.
term political interference can higher education help pro The relationship between the university and a city’s resi-
duce educated citizens and economic success for their re dents and institutions is at the heart of Jenny Phillimore’s
gions. analysis. In Whose university? Whose city? Universities and civic
The political sphere highlights the role of universities engagement, she identifies possible domains of civic engage
Martin Bickl as contributors to social and territorial cohesion. Experts ment with examples from the universities of Vilnius, Tel
Goethe University from the European level and Japan demonstrate how Aviv and Birmingham, including public access to univer
funding priorities and mechanisms have improved the po sity-owned facilities, academic outreach, widening partic
tential for partnerships between cities, regions and uni ipation and collaboration with local businesses. Smith and
versities, with a case study from the Lithuanian govern Summers explore UPenn’s Challenges and opportunities for
ment and its main university, Vilnius. The case study from university civic engagement, where the goals of defending a
Prague reveals a shared development trajectory between position as a world-leading research university and being
the city and its main university. an accessible institution that actively seeks to create op
The co-authored paper by the leader of Birmingham portunities for its local communities may be reconciled.
City Council and the university’s pro-vice-chancellor il Synergies, cooperation and competition: Alliances among cit-
lustrates the role of the two institutions in Alliances among ies and universities identifies policy learning and political
lobbying as the main rationales behind inter-city and in
ter-university networks, and the challenges to these net
works, including a limited steering capacity and the un
easy relationship between competition and collaboration.
A new breed of university–city networks is evolving, ex
emplified by the alliance between Goethe University and
the City of Frankfurt, which have realigned their sets of
international partnerships to achieve political, social and
economic synergies.
While this was the third event in a bi-annual confer
Front cover: Goethe University ence series in Frankfurt (2010) and Toronto (2012), some
campus and City of Frankfurt of the opportunities in the collaboration between cities
skyline and universities are still not fully understood, making this
supplement compelling reading for academics and practi
tioners alike.
Rainer Klump, former Vice-President of Goethe University,
Riedberg Campus, Goethe is now Rector, University of Luxembourg.
University Martin Bickl is Director of the International Office, Goethe University.
UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY APRIL 2015 3
Autonomy
A vital precondition for the
success of Europe’s universities
Lesley Wilson many European countries. The state is tightening its belt
while demanding more efficiency and introducing more
University autonomy is at the heart of the often complex re- targeted, performance-based funding mechanisms. At the
lations between universities and the state, which in Europe same time, demands are growing for widening access and
still provides over 70% of university funding. The challenges increasing the number of highly qualified graduates with
that our societies and universities face are considerable, and broad employability and skills to meet the demands of the
make it more necessary than ever before to find a good bal- knowledge economy.
ance between autonomy and accountability – one that gives This new era of globalisation also means a highly com
universities the necessary freedom to pursue their increas- petitive world market for universities in teaching and re
ingly diverse missions. search and innovation. This is reflected in the growing “Autonomy is never a
importance of international rankings, which receive con given, but is permanently
Indeed, university autonomy is a complicated concept
that evolved with changes in cultural, political, legal and
historical circumstances. The first universities started as
siderable attention from the public, policy makers and
universities, and greatly impact systems and institution
al behaviour.
under pressure and
needs to be constantly
feudal institutions in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, Major changes have also taken place in the last 10–15
renegotiated.”
Wilson
focusing on a limited number of classical subjects until the years in European higher education, leading to the Bologna
19th century, when the research university emerged – this reforms and the creation of the European Higher Education
was linked to the Industrial and Scientific Revolution and Area (EHEA). More recently, there have been increased
the recognition that the state needed investment in practi efforts to finalise the European Research Area (ERA), one
cal knowledge and higher learning. important element of which is the creation of a European
A century later, post-1945, the growth of the welfare labour market for researchers. While higher education
state and strong economic development gave way to a ma policy remains in the hands of each member state, the
jor expansion of universities in North America, and then in Bologna reforms and European mobility programmes have
Photo by Stuart Watson Photography, © University of Pennsylvania
different waves across Europe. These changes led to enor resulted in the creation of common structures and frame
mous increases in participation and completion rates in Eu works that have an influence on all systems and individ-
rope and are now reflected in the EU-wide benchmark for ual institutions.
2020 that 40% of young people should have a tertiary edu In this context, two key conditions are important for
cation diploma – a figure that many countries have already universities to be able to fulfil their role. First, university
met. There is now more focus on leadership and manage autonomy is a necessary precondition for the consolidation
ment and more centralised administration of large, public of the EHEA and ERA. Second, advocacy on behalf of
higher education systems and institutions; in some cases, at universities is as important at the European level as it is at
the expense of more collegial models of governance. the national level. The role of multiple players at the Euro-
However, the economic slowdown has resulted in sub pean level, including the European University Association
stantial cuts in higher education and research budgets for (EUA), complements the work of national associations in
4 UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY APRIL 2015
promoting the interests of universities at the European sities cannot select their quality assurance mechanism,
level and making sure that their voice is heard in the con although this is slowly changing due to European legisla
struction of the European project. tion. There are also differences in the extent to which stu
The existence of the EHEA and ERA is leading to the dent numbers are regulated, and only in one-third of sys
establishment of common frameworks at the European tems surveyed can universities select their students.
level that affect national and regional actors and univer Looking ahead, there are four major challenges that
sities. With regard to the EHEA, aside from implementing will impact university autonomy – first, the effects of the
the European Qualifications Framework and reaching the financial crisis. The autonomy study shows the high de
Lesley Wilson agreed benchmark of 20% for mobility and 40% target for gree of diversity of the rules and conditions under which
European University graduate attainment, of particular importance for univer Europe’s universities operate. Improvements have been
Association sities are the commonly agreed principles set out in its Eu made, but autonomy is increasingly under threat as a re
ropean Standards and Guidelines for Quality (ESGs). sult of the drastic public funding cuts of the past six years,
As far as the ERA is concerned, one major objective is with salaries and benefits for staff being affected and ex
to build an open European labour market for researchers penses linked to infrastructure maintenance and develop
by fostering mobility and improving young researchers’ ment being reduced.
training and career prospects. Underpinning these two Second, while international collaboration and mobili
developments is the so-called “Modernisation Agenda”, ty are beginning to affect how research is funded and or
which was originally conceived to encourage EU member ganised, the great paradox remains that despite the op
states to grant more autonomy and more funding to uni portunities offered by new technologies and the growing
versities. importance of internationalisation, universities still re
The relationship between university autonomy and main anchored in their national legal frameworks, tra
performance has, of course, been widely discussed. How ditions and practices. National regulation of staff status,
ever, it is difficult to measure autonomy according to any recruitment, promotion, salaries and pension affects in
objective index, even if several studies1 have shown that ternational mobility, as some regulations may be difficult
there are correlations between the degree of autonomy for non-nationals to comprehend fully and can become a
and university performance – for example, in terms of im competitive disadvantage.
proved quality, extent of income differentiation, efficien Third, the need for efficient and effective management
cy and effectiveness and successful internationalisation. and leadership and for new technical and specialist exper
Even the laws enshrining university autonomy differ from tise in a variety of areas must be addressed if universities
country to country. are to respond to the new demands placed on them. For
In a changing political and economic context, auton example, the recent development of so-called “HEPROs”
omy is never a given, but is permanently under pressure or “third space” professionals, who sit somewhere be
and needs to be constantly renegotiated. In this context tween academic and administrative personnel, represents
and as a service to its members, the EUA developed a so- a new breed of professionals.
called “Autonomy scorecard” to reflect the degree of au Finally, there is an increased burden on universities
tonomy that European universities presently enjoy. The that often arises from accountability demands from gov
scorecard looks at four dimensions of autonomy: organ ernments and other stakeholders. The increase in different
isational, financial, staffing and academic. The tool anal funding sources, while important for financial sustainabil
ysed data from 29 European systems to provide a compre ity, as well as the increase in performance-based and proj
hensive picture. ect-related funding, often brings with it greater reporting re-
As far as organisational autonomy is concerned, the quirements at regional, national and European levels; thus,
last decade has brought many changes, including in the simplifying the application and administration of these di
legal status of some universities. One of the major trends verse schemes becomes an important issue.
has been a decrease in direct state intervention in return One of the trickier areas for universities concerns the
for the (increased) participation of external members in demands for more information on the employability of
often newly constituted governing bodies. This is now the graduates. While this is also important information for in
norm in most systems. stitutions, and much is being done, there is always the
Financial autonomy remains of crucial importance, danger that simplistic or merely linear links will be made
and in almost all countries, universities now receive their between graduate employability and institutional perfor
core public funding through block grants. The most com mance.
plex financial issue is, of course, tuition fees – where the In conclusion, based on their culture of autonomy and
situation is often dependent on social compacts and taxa growing culture of quality – and their ability to endure,
tion systems. but also to change in response to external developments
As for staffing autonomy, while universities now have – universities will surely continue to contribute to society
greater flexibility in dealing with staffing issues, all or a in a major way. But in order to do so, they need financial
majority of staff still have civil servant status, and there sustainability and legislative stability, as well as to be more
References are differences in the way staff are recruited in almost half independent of short-term political agendas. This will al
1
Estermann, T., Nokkala, T., & Steinel, of European countries – ranging from a considerable de low them to do their job of looking to the longer term in
M. (2011). University Autonomy in gree of freedom to formalised procedures that require ex educating citizens and ultimately creating and disseminat
Europe II: The Scorecard. Belgium:
ternal approval, sometimes by the country’s highest au ing new knowledge.
European University Association
(www.eua.be/Libraries/Publications/ thorities.
University_Autonomy_in_Europe_ Finally, with academic autonomy, there are often con Lesley Wilson is the Secretary General of the
II_-_The_Scorecard.sflb.ashx). cerns about reporting requirements. In general, univer European University Association (EUA).
UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY APRIL 2015 5
The political sphere
Autonomy and interconnection
Martin Bickl that this concept of “university social responsibility” should Osaka University campus
play a key role in guiding partnerships between universi
The rise of the city within national and international political ties and cities, in order to help them become interconnect
systems is undisputed, and some observers1 contend that cit- ed in more meaningful and effective ways.
ies have now largely assumed the nation-state’s role as prob- Interestingly, just as Hoshino notes there has been a
lem-solvers. Similarly, universities have risen to prominence sea change in how the government of Japan awards fund
for their actual (or expected) role as contributors to economic ing to universities, Lesley Wilson, European Universi
growth and social and territorial cohesion.2 It seems that the ty Association, points out that the European Union has
fortunes of universities and their host cities are closely tied made efforts to shake things up by strengthening the in
to one another. Does increased autonomy and accountabili- teractions between cities and their universities in a way
ty for both kinds of institutions help foster collaboration? Con- that emphasises – and rewards – innovation. Wilson ex
versely, can close collaboration help achieve greater degrees plains how within the structure of the EU, the “regional
of autonomy? level has not been taken into account sufficiently in the
past, in the way European decision-making and European
T oshiya Hoshino, Osaka University, notes that while pre
vious leadership in Japan felt that increasing deficits
and declining youth populations were making Japanese
priorities have been set. And now that’s changed.” Now,
she says, “A very large part of the very large budget for re
universities less beneficial to the nation, Japan’s current
“The university has to be
prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has broken from the tradi
tional governmental view of universities as a heavy bur a very important citizen of the city.”
Hoshino
den on the federal government’s shoulders. With the new
philosophies of “Abenomics”, universities are now seen
as having the potential to be “a very important part of the gional development will only be spent on supporting re
growth strategy” for Japan. search and innovation at the local level.”
Abe altered the way in which funding is provided to This is indeed a new concept at the European level
universities, making it more competitive and research and requires the leadership – both at the city and univer
based, thus stimulating innovation. Hoshino points out sity levels – to come together to identify their own unique
that “The university has to be a very important citizen of characteristics. Only then can the community uncover its
the city” by not only promoting research and innovation competitive advantages and devise a productive strategy
within the city, but also by accepting a moral obligation to for growth. One intended consequence of this is that cities
operate according to the principles commonly associated must pursue the cooperation of their universities; effective
with corporate social responsibility. Hoshino emphasises strategizing “can only be done by bringing in the major
6 UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY APRIL 2015
bers are defined merely as “external”. Furthermore, they
are appointed by the minister of education and science
rather than being elected by members of the community.
Galginaitis asks, “What is, or rather should be, the politi
cal and legal model of university governance that would
enable the optimal involvement of the highest possi
ble number of stakeholders in the strategic governing of
the university?” Certainly, it is one that gives voice to the
Lenka A. Rovna Juozas Galginaitis Hans-Jürgen Puhle community in which the university resides. Yet Galginai
Charles University, Prague Vilnius University Goethe University tis reminds us that “The absence of any mention of stake
city universities”, tying the interests of all regional stake
“Thanks to involvement of students in the change of the
holders together in a concrete way involving monetary in
centives. Wilson notes that thus far, there have been few
regime in 1989, Charles University is now enjoying a
real partnerships, but “we hope this will push them to in very high level of self-governance and independence.”
Rovna
teract more effectively.” This shift in research and innova
tion funding is truly in the experimental stage, with many
watching closely. holders in the law is not likely to prevent the University
Rimantas Vaitkus, Lithuanian Ministry of Education of Vilnius from taking initiative in order to resolve the is
Toshiya Hoshino and Science, agrees wholeheartedly , agrees wholeheart sue, or at least to try to start dealing with this important
Osaka University edly with Hoshino on the importance of a “healthy inter problem by means of internal legislation.”
dependence” between universities and their cities, empha The importance of understanding a city within the
sising this point by saying that “Vilnius City and Vilnius context of its university (or universities) and vice versa,
as mentioned by Vaitkus, is also revealed by Charles Uni
versity in Prague representative Lenka A. Rovna’s discus
“Vilnius City and Vilnius University cannot sion of the shared history of Prague and Charles Univer
be understood without each other.” sity. Rovna notes that, “The history of the university and
Vaitkus
the city was shared and reflected the milestones of the de
velopment of the state and the nation(s).” Over a span of
University cannot be understood without each other.” many years, university leadership and students participat
Rimantas Vaitkus As an example, Vaitkus explains how Vilnius University’s ed in important political movements within both the city
Lithuanian Ministry historical importance not only benefits the university it and nation, working to provide the university with more
of Education and Science self, but also works to bring revenue to the City of Vilnius autonomy while establishing important and meaningful
from students, faculty and even tourism dollars – an im connections within the city. “Thanks to involvement of
portant students in the change of the regime in 1989,” Rovna ex
factor for a city trying to recover from a deficit of N300 plains, “Charles University is now enjoying a very high
million.
“The absence of any At present, the significant student population is not
“The autonomies of the city and of the university
mention of stakeholders counted towards city population, decreasing the amount
of federal funding. Vilnius also does not enjoy the advan depend on the groups running them, and also on
in the law is not likely
tage of the incentives Wilson mentions since the EU has the various relevant groups of civil society in
to prevent the University
determined there is only one region for the entire coun between and around them.”
of Vilnius from taking try. In this case, the city and university have come togeth Puhle
initiative in order to er of their own accord and to their mutual benefit, coop
resolve the issue.” erating on the development of research and technology level of self-governance and independence.” With a gov
Galginaitis parks, coordination of tourism efforts, establishment of ernance structure that includes an academic senate giving
student internships and organisation and hosting of con voice to a group of (relatively young) elected faculty and
ferences, thereby compensating for lack of funding from students, science and research is taking the front seat – an
the higher levels of government and forming a strong and advantage for both the university and the city. And while
mutually beneficial bond. the state continues struggling to regain power and influ
Juozas Galginaitis, Vilnius University, adds another di ence, it has thus far been unsuccessful.
mension to the struggles of cities and universities in Lith As Chair Hans-Jürgen Puhle, Goethe University, ob
uania. As Galginaitis explains, the federal government serves, “The autonomies of the city and of the university
seems to neglect the interests of the city within the very depend on the groups running them, and also on the vari
legal language defining the composition of the Univer- ous relevant groups of civil society in between and around
sity Council. “Unfortunately,” Galginaitis notes, “law on them.” Interaction (and further communication) are in
higher education and research of the Republic of Lithu tegral in producing “optimum synergies”. It does indeed
References
1
ania still neglects to give any attention to those societal seem that the more interconnected cites and their univer
Barber, B. (2013). If Mayors Ruled the
World: Dysfunctional Nations, Rising
groups that are most interested in the activity of the Uni sities become, the more voice each party has in determin
Cities. Yale University Press. versity – the stakeholders.” While the law outlines specific ing the direction of its future.
2 European Commission (2011). details regarding the composition of the internal members
Connecting Universities to Regional of the council (teaching staff, research staff, administra Martin Bickl is Director of the
Growth (Working Paper). tion and student body, for example), the external mem International Office, Goethe University.
UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY APRIL 2015 7
Albert Bore & Michael Whitby
From the City of Birmingham …
City networking at the European and international levels is a
valuable means for sharing good practice, joint learning and
forming alliances to effect policy change. Like many cities,
Birmingham works bilaterally with its partner cities of Chica-
go, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, Johannesburg, Leipzig, Lyon and
Milan. The most publicly visible cornerstone of Birmingham’s
city relations is the annual Frankfurt Christmas Market. Each
year, Birmingham welcomes 100 stalls from Frankfurt for six
Alliances among cities weeks, which attract over three million visitors and bring an
average associated spend of £85 million into the city.
T
and universities
he City of Birmingham also has a long-established pres
ence in the EU, notably through the EUROCITIES net
work, which links major European cities. This started
from humble, albeit ambitious, beginnings with six cities,
but today brings together over 130 of Europe’s largest cit
The case of Birmingham ies and 40 partner cities that between them govern 130
million citizens across 35 countries.
EUROCITIES originated at a conference held in Rotter-
dam in 1986 on the theme of cities as the engine of eco
nomic recovery. At that time, cities across Europe were
dealing with the fallout of sharp industrial decline and
restructuring across the continent. After the conference,
informal discussions between the mayors of Barcelona,
Frankfurt, Lyon, Milan, Rotterdam and Birmingham paved
the way for cities to come together to drive policies to
secure economic growth and recovery at the EU and local
level. Albert Bore was one of the founding members of
EUROCITIES and is proud still to be active within it today.
EUROCITIES aims to shape the opinions of Brussels stake
holders and to shift the focus of EU legislation and fund
ing in ways that allow cities to tackle strategic challenges
at the local level.
Bore is also a member of the EU Committee of the
Regions, an EU institution set up through the Maastricht
Treaty. This body is effectively an interlocutor between
cities and local authorities with the European Commission
and the European Parliament. This is particularly import
ant as it gives cities and local authorities a formal role in
the EU policy-making process.
Some ask why cities choose to cooperate when they
are in competition with one another. First, by working
collectively through EUROCITIES and the Committee of
the Regions, cities can have a stronger voice in shaping
opinion in EU institutions. This is particularly relevant
given it is estimated that some 70 – 80% of legislation that
impacts local government has its origins in EU law.1 Second,
for cities, success is as much about collaboration as compe
tition. Collaboration between cities can help us learn from
each other: cities do not need to reinvent the wheel. Cities,
like other major institutions such as universities, have to
be looking beyond their horizons and learn from others
to continue to thrive and improve. EUROCITIES and the
Committee of the Regions networks help do just that.
… To the University of Birmingham
One important aspect of Birmingham’s partner city rela
tions is the opportunities they open up for other institu
tions. Thus the counterpart in Frankfurt for the Christ
mas market in Birmingham is the strategic partnership
UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY APRIL 2015
and Ironbridge, in cementing links, although the partner
ship spans the breadth of our comprehensive universities.
Granted the vitality of Birmingham’s cultural scene, there
is considerable potential for exploiting the reputations of
the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Birming
ham Repertory Theatre and Birmingham Royal Ballet to
create and uphold relationships; aligning these cultural re
sources with the city’s commercial and industrial strength
and the university’s research base will unlock further op
portunities.
In China, Guangzhou – the country’s third-largest city
– is sister to Birmingham. Here, the university has spear
headed the connection with a long-running epidemiolog
ical study in manufacturing, power systems, liver disease,
brain cognition and a major collaborative genetics insti
tute in a special agreement with the Guangzhou Munic
ipal Government. In addition, we have a programme of
professional development for employees of the Guang
zhou Municipality. Beyond Guangzhou, we have two ma
jor joint research centres in Hefei on intelligent computing
and railway safety and technology.
Other university collaborations bring potential bene
Aerial view of the Edgbaston between the University of Birmingham and Goethe Uni fit for the city. For example, in Brazil, the strategic part
Campus and the City of Bir- versity. This is developing closer cooperation in teaching nership between the Universities of Birmingham and
mingham and research between the two institutions in fields rang Nottingham has generated considerable opportunities in
ing from particle physics and pharmacy to African stud several partner universities across the country in fields as
ies and ancient history. The universities also collaborate diverse as energy, the legacy of sporting events, fMRI im
on researching effective local democracy and the challeng aging and translation studies. Universitas 21 brings a net
es of complex urban communities, topics that will direct work of leading global universities into contact with Bir
ly benefit their cities – the most diverse in their respective mingham, enabling collaborations on, for example,
countries. The two universities will be pooling resourc projects like digital heritage that link the resources of the
es to enhance their presence in Brussels, where the Uni West Midlands with the world. In Malaysia and Indonesia,
versity of Birmingham has now maintained an office for
three years, to ensure that their policy advice has maxi
"The close alignment of the University of Birmingham
mum impact.
The close alignment of the University of Birmingham and its city is unsurprising: the university was founded
and its city is unsurprising: the university was founded as an expression of civic pride."
as an expression of civic pride at the instigation of Joseph Bore & Whitby
Chamberlain, the former mayor, and through the philan
thropic generosity of the businessmen and citizens of the we work with partners on transportation and reliance. We
city. It was created to provide graduates in both the arts have over 900 students based in Singapore studying busi
and sciences to underpin the city’s prosperity. It still ful ness. The University’s Centre for Railway Research and
fils this role with distinction, generating over £1 billion of Education provides expertise on new approaches to traffic
Albert Bore economic activity in the region annually and supporting management, track construction and propulsion to met
Birmingham City Council almost 12,000 jobs; most of this impact is, naturally, with ro and other railway projects around the world, notably
in the City of Birmingham. The university is also a major in China, India and North America; this rich experience is
catalyst for inwards investment, by ensuring that the West contributing to planning for high-speed rail developments
Midlands is a region with both the skilled workforce to in the UK and helped Birmingham to be selected as joint
support the likes of Deutsche Bank or Jaguar Land Rover host for the national HS2 College.
and the cutting-edge research to enable Rolls Royce to de City and university are both superdiverse communities,
velop new forms of high-temperature casting for the next as Jenny Phillimore’s contribution to the conference
generation of jet engines. demonstrated. The university brings to the city students
It is always a challenge for universities to determine from over 150 different countries around the world and
how many strategic partnerships they can effectively sus sends out its alumni to at least that number, thereby
Michael Whitby tain. In this respect, alignment with the international sis maintaining our global connections. The Birmingham ex
University of Birmingham ter-cities for Birmingham supports enhanced activity. In perience, of both Edgbaston campus and city-centre cul
the USA, where Chicago is Birmingham’s twinned “sec tural life, ensures that together we are constantly creating
ond-city”, the university has recently confirmed a stra new ambassadors for the city-region, thereby laying the
tegic partnership with the University of Illinois Urbana foundations for our future prosperity.
Champaign. Here, themes such as international cultur
References al heritage management, or the Global Shakespeare Video Albert Bore is Leader of Birmingham City Council.
1 www.local.gov.uk/eu-policy-and- & Performance Archive project, underline the importance Michael Whitby is Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of College
lobbying. of the Birmingham region’s cultural assets, like Stratford for the College of Arts & Law, University of Birmingham.
UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY APRIL 2015 9
The economic sphere
Paul Bernd Spahn cities, where scholars and students are a substantial share The relationship between
of the population. But even in larger cities, such as Berlin, Fudan University and the
The relationship between the university and the city is highly Munich or Frankfurt, universities attract income and sus City of Shanghai thrives on
ambiguous. On the one hand, there is, especially in the Unit- tain high-value purchasing power. They also play an im mutual support.
ed States, “an impulse to build campus environments, even in portant role as investors and consumers of services from
cities, with ‘an affinity with the purified, safe and calm life of third parties, adding clout to local income generation and
the suburbs’”.1 Here, the university is exalted for its intellec- the creation of wealth.
tual independence, but risks becoming a somewhat alienated
and disconnected institution with an anti-urban and anti-eco- The role of the city
nomic stance. On the other hand, the university can never be The city, as the physical, economic and cultural environ
“self-contained”, as it thrives within an intellectually and cul- ment that shelters the university, has a responsibility in
turally challenging city. A fruitful interaction will produce new supporting its endeavour to attract high-caliber faculty and
knowledge, not for its own contemplation, but for social and students, similar to attracting high-value–adding industries
economic development. and services. A successful university needs a favourable
regional environment, in particular, a qualified, open and
The role of the university internationally oriented education system, first-class cul-
The interconnections of a city with its universities and col tural institutions and programmes and attractive surround
leges are particularly relevant to social and economic de ings for leisure activities. Without that, it is quasi impossible
velopment. Economic synergies thrive where there is will to attract top-notch academics and students, as they expect
ingness to match the structures of the university and the such an environment for themselves and their families
local economy, and to engage in a candid dialogue on the and children. Real estate development is just one such
ory and practice. The university should facilitate original, dimension. The provision of decent local infrastructure “A university’s humanistic
relevant research; transfer knowledge by fostering two- and adequate local services are key. spirit and scientific
way “data pipelines”; develop tools for analysis and ap Yet the city can go beyond this narrow set of essential research makes the city
plication; create permanent platforms for discussions; and local public services and also engage in creating synergies
friendlier to human beings
work collaboratively with officials, city planners, entrepre between academic institutions, and between these institu
neurs, lawyers, technicians and other practitioners. tions and the local business community. In Frankfurt, we
and nature, and helps the
In addition to its search for knowledge and engage are fortunate that the city, in concordance with the state city to develop in a balan-
ment, the university plays a crucial role in academic train government, has fostered an economic infrastructure that ced and sustainable way.”
ing and cultivation. To reach new generations, the study responds to global economic challenges, whether as an Ding
ought to reflect both theoretical concepts and methods important European transport hub, as the core of a pio
and real-world needs of local public, social and econom neering high-speed data network or as a synergetic mix of
ic agents. This benefits students, expecting decent job op institutions of higher learning, economic services and in
portunities after graduation, and local employers, await dustries. These complementary synergies between the city
ing highly qualified and motivated staff. administration, local economy and academia are crucial
Furthermore, the university plays a key role as a top for successful regional economic and social development.
employer of highly qualified staff, an international mag
net for visiting fellows and researchers, a focal point of in Effective cohabitation between the city and its university
formation networks and a catalyst for a large body of sem Four panelists from Frankfurt’s partner universities and
inal students. This is particularly important for smaller cities address some of the key economic questions of how
10 UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY APRIL 2015
Krakow
Magdalena Sroka, Krakow’s deputy mayor, notes that as
one of the world’s oldest universities, Jagiellonian Univer
sity plays an important promotional role for both the uni
versity milieu (by now 21 higher education institutions)
and the city, since its large student population makes Kra
kow one of the youngest cities in Poland. At the same
time, the Jagiellonian acts as a magnet for new business,
Paul Bernd Spahn with tourism playing an ever-increasing role. Sroka ex
Goethe University plains, “Aware of the importance of new investments in
the knowledge-based sector, city authorities cooperate
with the university to shift the economy from essential to
sophisticated services where new technologies play a role.
Moreover, the city matches supply of qualified graduates
with demand in various areas through an annual ‘balance
of competences’.” The cultural fund allows new cultural
initiatives in, for example, audio-visual design, supported
by the university’s innovative technologies.
Ding Chun
Fudan University “In 2008, a milestone decision returned Goethe
University’s status as a foundation university –
the first such in contemporary Germany.”
Eick
Jagiellonian University, among the oldest universities in the
world, attracts many students to Krakow. Sroka emphasises the significance of effective city –
university cooperation in promoting a positive image, at
tracting new investments, employing knowledge-based
best to fulfill these roles, giving overviews on city–univer ventures in direct city development and advancing new
sity relations for their respective institutions in this con technologies. Not necessarily requiring the city’s financial
text. Their key messages can be summarised as follows: Magdalena Sroka support, this does involve creative thinking, competence
City of Krakow matching and friendly cooperation.
Shanghai
Professor Ding Chun, Fudan University, stresses that the Prague
relationship between the university and city thrives on Wadim Strielkowski discusses Charles University in Prague,
mutual support and joint development initiatives. In par founded in 1348, hence even older than Jagellonian Uni
ticular, the city supports the university through finan versity. Strielkowski notes the historical roles of universi
ties in the lives of their cities and what the implications of
easier access to academic formation and globalisation are
“Aware of the importance of new investments in the for the future. His in-depth article on the subject follows
knowledge-based sector, city authorities cooperate with this contribution.
the university to shift the economy from essential to so- Gabriele Eick
phisticated services where new technologies play a role.” Goethe University and Frankfurt
Sroka Executive Communications Gabriele Eick, having worked for both the City of Frank
furt and on the Board of Goethe University, summaris
cial grants, the provision of land for new campuses and es her key points as follows: “In 2008, a milestone deci
care for the establishment of a high-tech park. The con sion returned Goethe University’s status as a foundation
tributions of the university to this fruitful relationship are university – the first such in contemporary Germany. The
manifold, but involve supplying qualified graduates, con university has since established a private endowment and
sultancy services (the university has created five research enjoys full administrative autonomy in matters such as
hubs or think tanks for that purpose) and healthcare ser faculty appointments. This is crucial for development, as
vices to citizens. seen in the 2014 centenary, showcasing the remarkable
Ding emphasises that the relationship between Fudan trust and engagement of many private donors.
and Shanghai has demonstrated that “A good university “Still, it remains a challenge for a university in a bust
should be not only a city’s calling card and think tank hub, ling city like Frankfurt to remain relevant. Ideally, Goethe
References
but also a centre for innovation and a resource for human University should become a ‘love mark’,”2 Eick notes, via
1 Perry, D. C., & Wiewel, W. (Eds,
capital. A university’s humanistic spirit and scientific re a long-term commitment to city businesses and organisa
2005). The University as Urban
search makes the city friendlier to human beings and na tions that positions Goethe University as a central part of
Developer. Cambridge, MA: Lincoln
ture, and helps the city to develop in a balanced and sus Institute of Land, p. 4.
the city economy in a way that continues to bring pride to
tainable way. The city, in return, plays an ever more 2 the city and its citizens long after the 2014 centennial cel
Saatchi & Saatchi. Lovemarks:
significant and irreplaceable role in promoting the univer The Future Beyond Brands. ebration.
sity’s academic development and therefore fosters this hu http://www.lovemarks.com/index.
manistic spirit.” php?pageID=20020 Paul Bernd Spahn is Professor Emeritus, Goethe University.UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY APRIL 2015 11
Universities and their cities
An economic perspective
Wadim Strielkowski ic benefit for cities is in preparing future business leaders The Old Town Square
likely to run companies located in the same cities or re in Prague
The history of the interaction between the university and the gions as their universities.
city goes back to medieval ages.1 From their very origins in
medieval Europe, universities had two main economic pur- Universities and cities in the changing world
poses: giving representatives of the powerful political and However, the world is changing, and universities are
business elites a place to network (and become even more changing with it. Globalisation has altered the structure
powerful), and preparing the offspring of those elites to take and shape of the academic crowd.4 Many students are
over the family business. now coming from another part of the world in pursuit of
a high-quality degree (especially relevant for universities
T he first purpose is quite straightforward and is still ful
filled by the majority of universities (particularly busi
ness schools) nowadays. The second purpose is less ob
in North America and the EU), and therefore start con
tributing to these cities in different ways. For instance, in
ternational students spend more on housing, food and
vious and allows universities to regulate the numbers of supplies than locals, who often have their own housing or
young entrepreneurs and educate them to become good live with family.
caretakers of established businesses, in order to sustain Another important issue is that the rapidly changing
the balanced development of the world’s economy. world – fueled by global information technologies, open
The economic benefits for cities are obvious: the tar borders and cheaper travel, easier transfer of knowledge
gets of many powerful economic alliances created within and information and higher volumes of production and
the universities’ walls are often in the immediate proxim trade – is posing new demands on students. Ten years
ity.2, 3 Students create start-ups and provide services with ago, it was not common for students to have full-time
in the cities where they reside, which means higher tax jobs. Nowadays, students tend to work and spend more
revenues and employment rates, positively affecting the because there are more ways to spend money on fashion,
quality of life in these cities. Another important econom housing, technological gadgets, leisure and travelling.12 UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY APRIL 2015
agglomerates of universities specialising in, for example,
energy or agricultural studies and envisaged to serve
specific areas of the Communist economy had been estab
lished throughout the 1930s.
The situation changed abruptly in the early 1990s,
during the first 10 years of economic transition. All of a
sudden, many private universities sprang up, the quality
of university education went down and many state-owned
universities attempted to engage themselves in various
forms of (often dubious) business activities (such as rent
ing university property to businesses like bars, restaurants
and hotels, or as offices for enterprises of all sorts).
While the universities from CEE quickly adjusted to
the shock from the transformation and adopted educa
tional standards from the “old” EU countries, Russian uni
versities are struggling with the declining quality of edu
cation, unclear goals and pressure from the government
to adapt to Western norms and standards.6 Until recent
ly, most universities from the Russian Federation were
obliged to cooperate with local industries to prepare their
students as future “on-demand” employees. Many Rus
sian universities even had or have compulsory “work
placement” for their students during their final year of
studies.7 However, this work placement is often fictional
and does not contribute to the development of the work
force, or it helps local businesses access a cheap and quali
fied labour force.
Charles University, among the oldest universities in the world The situation differs from city to city, of course. In
some small CEE and Russian cities where universities con
stitute one of the largest employers and most powerful
They are also expected to demonstrate at least several players in municipal development, their role in the local
years of work experience at graduation in order to quali economies is enormous (very often, high-ranking univer
fy for well-paid jobs. Many universities have noticed these sity administrators and local politicians share friends and
trends and have therefore allied with their cities and lo business ties). However, the situation might be different
cal economies in order to help both the supply and de in larger cities, where universities are often less influen
mand sides. In North America, cooperative education tial. One such example is Prague, which is considered to
programmes combining students’ academic studies and be the EU’s seventh wealthiest city (with the GDP per cap
relevant work experience have gained wide popularity ita being at about 175% of the EU’s average) and is there
Wadim Strielkowski and allowed students to build the required experience and fore ineligible to receive money from EU funds or to take
Charles University, Prague contribute to the regional economies. part in operational programmes improving university ed
And this is not to mention university spin-offs, busi ucation in the Czech Republic.
ness incubators and start-ups. Students are becoming
more entrepreneurial as their universities provide them Wadim Strielkowski is Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences,
space and time for developing their ideas, leading to im Charles University in Prague.
portant discoveries and business solutions that impact re
gional economies. Take pharmaceutical research, for ex References
ample. It would have been impossible to develop and test 1 Bender, T. (Ed., 1988). The University and the City: From Medieval Origins to the
so many medicines without the research conducted in Present. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
university labs.5 2 Charles, D. (2003). Universities and Territorial Development: Reshaping the
Regional Role of UK Universities. Local Economy, 18(1), pp. 7 – 20.
Universities in Central and Eastern Europe 3 Puukka, J., & Marmolejo, F. (2008). Higher Education Institutions and Regional
and the Russian Federation Mission: Lessons Learnt from the OECD Review Project. Higher Education Poli-
cy, 21(2), pp. 217 – 244.
Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Russian Fed
4 Gunasekara, C. (2006). Reframing the Role of Universities in the Development
eration have a slightly different path for cooperation and
of Regional Innovation Systems. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 31(1), pp.
interaction between universities and their cities. The
101 – 113.
Acknowledgements Communist heritage predominant there limited the in 5 Ischinger, B., & Puukka, J. (2009). Universities for Cities and Regions: Lessons
I would like to thank Neal volvement of universities in the economic sphere in their
from the OECD Reviews. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 41(3), pp.
Eiserman for his help and cities. University education was provided free of charge, 8 – 13.
ideas regarding the role of and the only source of income for universities was govern- 6 Strielkowski, W., & Čábelková, I. (Eds., 2012). Educational Systems of European
the universities, and Evgeny mental subsidies. The educational system created under Union and Russian Federation. Prague: Charles University, Faculty of Social Sci-
Lisin for his ideas on the Communist rule focused on the creation of large-profiled ences.
transition of universities universities that would cover the main areas of the 7 Krotova, A., Abramova, E., Lisin, E., & Strielkowski, W. (2013). Strategic Planning
in the Russian Federation. socialist economy, especially in the USSR, where giant in Education. Prague: Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences.UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY APRIL 2015 13
Whose university?
Whose city?
Universities and civic engagement
Jenny Phillimore and bring tangible benefits to local residents, businesses The city of Tel Aviv, home to
and institutions. These include public access to univer- the ethnically and socially
In the increasingly marketised world of higher education sity-owned facilities such as libraries, museums, sports diverse Tel Aviv University
(HE), many universities are trying to balance income gener- facilities and spaces and access to knowledge through en
ation and competitiveness with civic or public engagement. gagement in events and involvement in research. Student
The National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement1 de- engagement often involves volunteering as a part of uni-
scribes public engagement as the sharing of HE benefits and versity curricula, but can also relate to student-led activi
activities with the public for mutual benefit. Rogers Smith, ties and practice placements, while faculty engagement sees
University of Pennsylvania, warns that US universities are at staff offering their expertise as volunteers or advisors.
a critical juncture wherein their legitimacy and relevance to Widening participation programmes are probably the most
wider publics are in question – enhanced civic engagement well-known engagement domain. Such approaches seek
may offer a means by which to reclaim legitimacy. Such in- to improve recruitment and success rates of students from
teraction is generally portrayed as positive for staff, students traditionally excluded backgrounds. Many universities col-
and universities, bringing wide-ranging opportunities. Yet the laborate with local businesses around research and develop
benefits of engagement for local communities are largely as- ment, particularly in relation to technology transfer and
sumed with little empirical evidence available about the ways provision of business advice. The final engagement do
actions impact those engaged. main encompasses developing institutional relationships and
partnerships with communities, often involving the de
C ritical voices from within HE have raised concerns that
engagement is more of a brand-management exercise
emerging from institutional self-interest rather than an ef
velopment of collaborative research projects intended to
meet community needs.
Juras Banys, Vilnius University, is clear about the im
fort to pursue social justice goals within university hinter portance of public access to its facilities, viewing the uni
lands. The idea of engagement with a single community is versity’s historic buildings as “a gateway to both Vilnius
contested: cities have always been socioeconomically di and Lithuania”. The campus welcomes local citizens and
verse and are increasingly becoming superdiverse as peo high-profile visitors from across the globe as the univer
ple arrive from across the globe. So who exactly should sity hosts key events for both city and nation. Looking to
universities engage with? And is engagement the responsi the future as Vilnius University embarks on an ambitious
bility of institutions or the individuals within them? These development programme, the university is building new
were just two of the questions addressed at the Goethe campuses “with a high concentration of researchers, stu
University centenary conference, from the perspectives of dents and businesses, which will inevitably only increase
universities located in cities with different publics, geog its impact on the city”.
raphies and traditions of civic engagement: Pennsylvania, Rogers Smith and Mary Summers point to work with
Vilnius, Tel Aviv and Birmingham. In this article, I briefly in the University of Pennsylvania, wherein staff and stu
examine the ways in which universities might engage with dents engage with local people (detailed further in Smith
their public(s), using examples from the four universities. & Summer’s co-authored article, immediately following
According to Hart & Northmore,2 there are seven pos this piece). Activities involve interdisciplinary, problem-
sible domains of civic engagement that universities might oriented teaching and research that is “rigorous, intellec
utilise in order to enhance the relevance of their work tually path-breaking and also pertinent to pressing humanYou can also read
