Beyond Town and Gown: New report outlines University’s ambitious plans to support transformative social and economic change locally
A new report detailing Oxford University’s ambitious plans to support positive social, economic and environmental change in the city and county has been released.
Titled Beyond Town and Gown: Working Towards a More Inclusive Oxford, the report also showcases the many diverse ways in which the collegiate University has already been working with the community.
Through our research, hospitals, museums and parks, commitment to lifelong learning and schools’ outreach programmes, contribution to the regional economy, and collaboration with local partners, the University is committed to making a positive contribution and creating opportunities for all.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey CBE, FRS, FMedSci (Photo credit: OUImages/Ian Wallman)
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey CBE, FRS, FMedSci said:
‘I am born and bred in Oxford as well as being an academic and researcher. It matters to me that my hometown university, that I have the enormous honour to lead and serve, is not only a well-recognised, global institution that changes lives and the planet for the better, but is also a positive presence to the people of Oxford city and county.
'So, strengthening Oxford University’s beneficial impact on the community is a key priority during my tenure.
'We are committed to finding ways to support inclusive growth and innovation, ensuring that everyone across our community shares in the benefits of living close to one of the world’s greatest universities, just as we benefit from our relationships with them. Through our research, innovation, and world-class teaching, we are eager to collaborate with local businesses and local government to create opportunities for all. We also have extraordinary cultural and historical assets. This report explains some of the ways in which we are realising our collective vision to shape a more positive future for people across the region, nation and world.’
Professor Alexander Betts, who was appointed as the University's Local and Global Engagement Officer in 2023 and who is co-author of the report, as well as Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs in the Social Sciences Division at Oxford, said:
'The University has the most extraordinary assets, in terms of its research, education, people, and facilities. I’d like everyone across the city and county to be able to share in the benefits of being a stone’s throw away from such exceptional resources. For that to happen, I know we need to do far more to be accessible and relevant to people’s daily lives ... There are some truly amazing projects built on genuine collaboration between my colleagues, including our students, and the wider community.’
Local engagement will be a central theme within the University’s next five-year strategy (2025-30). In a region with significant privilege and opportunity, the University recognises there is also massive inequality and needs to be part of the solution by expanding opportunities for local people through partnerships with local government, business, and community organisations and making a positive social contribution by sharing research, teaching, people and facilities.
One initiative is to share research expertise locally in ways that make a difference is the new Local Policy Lab, which the University has created in collaboration with the County Council and Oxford Brookes University, and with support from ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, which is supporting more evidence-based public policy in areas such as health and environmental policy.
Another - the Oxford Education Deanery, hosted by the University’s Department of Education - is a forum for teachers and University academics to share information and resources, and work together to produce high-quality education research. Offering courses and events on a range of topics, the Deanery provides important professional development opportunities for educators.
Read the full news item on ox.ac.uk
