Briefing Paper 04

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Observatory PASCAL
Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions PASCAL UNIVERSITIES REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT PROJECT (PURE) PURE Briefing Paper No. 4 PURE Steps: November – December 2008 Dear Colleagues, The purpose of this paper is to provide you with a further update on the PURE project and to formally set the process of the project in motion. All of you that are being sent this document are either in the process of contracting with us, are definitely intending to do so or are still strongly interested. Communication From our perspective (and yours we believe), it is desirable to plan a limited number of initial exchanges to start the shared and separate processes without sending many small messages, or overwhelming you with unnecessary demands for details. Anything that we do should be clear and be obviously useful. It should also align with and build on briefing papers so far, and on the discussions at Limerick and Glasgow. Shortly we will have a PURE dedicated website within the PASCAL website ready to use, and to encourage active and interactive use on a routine basis. Some of this material will be accessed other than by PURE subscribers, but there will be a private space for PURE regions and we will create high-level, but easy to use connectivity by text, audio and video. We will also aim to bring about connectedness between PURE and other Pascal network members and projects whilst maintaining the integrity of the private space of PURE. This would have to ensure mutual benefit, and we will make certain that PURE participants do not feel in any sense exploited by such sharing. We will err on the side of caution in all circumstances. A Second Cohort There is a now a strong possibility that a second cohort of PURE regions may be enlisted and begin work as early as the first half of 2009. In this event we will gain by linking, and partly melding, the two cohorts. In this way stronger specialist sub-groups can be created. As these choices emerge in the early project phase for cohort 1, they can be made known to the formative second cohort. Between 12 and 16 regions will be members of the first cohort. This is a good number for comparing and benchmarking in the common or core areas, and will support a number of sub-group clusters. It is unlikely that any region will be part of more than two sub-groups; many may choose only one. With the early phasing in of a second cohort, we envisage more opportunities for bench-marking for both cohorts. Next Steps and their Purposes/Outcomes 1. We are about to create a definitive list of participating regions, with their essential ‘bio-data’, to share and make available on the website. This will include the name of the key regional organiser and contact person to enable direct region-to-region exchange, and where possible names of members of your Regional Co-ordinating Group (RCG). We will then establish a Regional Advisory Group to steer the project. Appendix 1 of this Briefing Note requests data so that we can put into action this process and we will send you the list of those in Cohort 1 in a further Briefing Paper. Purposes:  To establish Regional Co-ordinating Group (RCGs).  To establish a PURE Regional Advisory Network (RAN) to steer the project along; and to enable all participants immediately to know essential facts about other regions as a basis for dialogue, and for identifying partners and areas of development of particular common interest.
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions Outcomes:  Regional Co-ordinating Group (RCG) and leader  PURE Regional Advisory Network (RAN);  essential facts for each region; and  an initial basis for selection of special interest sub-groups and for common benchmarking. 2. We seek an initial indication of how central issues and problems concerned with regions, universities and their interactions are defined and experienced in each region. See Appendix 2 of this Briefing Note. Purpose:  To create an initial agenda for focus and action, and a baseline for evaluating progress made in each region during the life of the project. Outcome:  Initial checklist of purposes, problems and priority concerns that can be revisited and updated as appropriate during the life of the project, by each region and by the whole network. 3. We seek names of Peer reviewer-experts available from the Pascal network of Associates and from participating regions who may be drawn upon to agree about and create teams to visit each region as part of PURE Review Teams (PRTs). Please suggest a potential peer reviewer from your region. This person should be from a city/county/regional entity not from higher education. Purpose:  Facilitation of the process of identifying teams appropriate to the unique circumstances of each region. Outcomes:  A list of expert resources persons which is transparent, accessible, and that can be added to as need arises; and  the determination of working PURE Review Teams region by region (for the two year period but subject to alteration by agreement during that time, if and as need arises e.g. for other special expertise). 4. We are developing a Benchmarking Tool that reflects the discussions at the Glasgow Seminar, and will share these developments with you in a future Briefing Paper. Purposes:  To equip the PURE project to benchmark across common areas and assist each region to clarify needs and identify progress; and  to assist Pascal and the whole PURE network to learn more about and add to public knowledge about the processes, possibilities and limitations of benchmarking for the contribution of HEIs to regional development. Outcomes:  Measures of progress useful to each particular region; and  better understanding of benchmarking and refined useful tools for future and wider use. 5. In addition further Guidance will be provided to assist regions in undertaking data collection and analysis in preparation for a team visit in the first part of 2009. We will be discussing this on a one to one basis over the next two months.
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions PURE Steps: November - December 2008 Briefing Paper 4 APPENDIX 1
Region: Principal PURE contact: Title: Institutional base with full postal mailing address: Email: Contact telephone no.: (include international dialling code) Name of main collaborating region: Suggested members of your Regional Co-ordinating Group (RCG) (between 3 and 5 Persons): Name, organisation and email Suggested Peer Reviewer from region: ‘Identity’ of region (e.g. governmental admin. region; special development zone; informal ‘working reality’ region, etc) Regional portrait (Please list key issues of interest and relevance to PURE) Approx. population and any key features: (e.g. new migrant numbers) Other essential geographical features: Economy, industries and employment features: Key issues and challenges confronting the region Economic issues: 1. 2. etc. Social issues including health: 1. 2. etc. Environmental issues: 1. 2. etc. Cultural issues: 1.
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Forename:
Surname:
1 2 3 4 5
Key websites for more information: 1. 2. etc. Key websites for more information: 1. 2. etc. Key websites for more information: 1. 2. etc. Key websites for more information: 1.
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions 2. etc. Other issues or dimensions: (e.g. political & administrative, civic and participation) 1. 2. etc. 2. etc. Key websites for more information: (if applicable) 1. 2. etc.
University and other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) portrait (Please describe in a few words the HE system operating in the region, in terms of any important matters, the following): 1. structure, legal and financial status of HE system 2. main priorities for the HEIs in the region 3. relevant recent changes and developments in policy and/or practice 4. ways of organising and managing within the HEIs HEIs in region (please list, inserting rows as appropriate): HEI Location Contact person, email and website 1. 1. 1. 2. 2. 2. 3. 3. 3. Please return to Sarah McCullough by 30 November 2008 If you have any queries, please contact Sarah on [email protected]
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions Briefing Paper 4 APPENDIX 2 Regional Aspirations and Agenda Please add, after each point below, any comment on each of these, as you see them at present, as they apply to your region: 1. What aspects of regional development and the role of higher education in particular do you wish to engage with, focus on and improve, through your involvement in PURE? (a) From the point of view of the region and its priorities, objectives and ways of working? (b) From the point of view of the higher education institutions and their priorities, objectives and ways of working? 2. In terms of the wider global, political, administrative, economic and environmental setting it was agreed at the PURE Glasgow working meeting (September 2008) that the following aspects (included in Briefing Paper No. 3) were of wide general significance for the PURE project as a whole: (a) What role are strong national and/or regional policies in favour of third mission playing to overcome barriers for PURE work in the regions? (b) Will strong national and regional policies in favour of sustainable development have an impact on PURE activity on environmental issues? (c) Will strong policies on implementing LLL at national and/or regional levels have an impact on PURE activities? (d) Will strong national and/or regional innovation and research policies have as impact on PURE activities? (e) Will strong national and/or regional policy on administrative and governance issues have an impact on PURE activities? (f) How is the third mission seen and developed, and how central is it to the future especially of nonelite universities?
(g) Is the globalisation of the economy changing regions' ecological, social and cultural policies? If so, how will it impact on PURE activities in the region and the university? 3. At this stage, do you have a clear sense which subject(s) of special interest you would like to concentrate on in a PURE regions sub-group; for example – ecotourism, SME development, megaevents like the Olympics, cultural development and creative arts, etc? We would be interested in the following sub-group specialism(s): Are there any other points that you wish to mention at this stage? Please return to Sarah McCullough by 30 November 2008 If you have any queries please contact Sarah on [email protected] 31 October 2008 Chris Duke, PASCAL Academic Director
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