University of Nottingham - Thursday 4 May

East Midlands Conference Centre

“21st Century Global Anchor Institutions: universities, cities and the international talent economy”

The Kelvin Hall project is to feature at this year's Universitas 21 Annual Network Meeting and Presidential Symposium 2017 being held at the University of Nottingham. 

The project is one of six case studies looking at so-called "anchor" relationships involving universities and communities.

Universities across the Universitas 21 Group and beyond have a long and established track-record of driving economic growth and socio-cultural prosperity in their host cities and regions. They act as anchor institutions for these communities, providing a stabilising, long-term presence in an era of fluctuating investment in both public and private sectors.

University of Glasgow: Kelvin Hall: a civic and national partnership
Presenter: Professor Murray Pittock, Pro Vice-Principal, University of Glasgow. Co-Presenters: Jill Miller OBE, Glasgow Life & Dr John Scally, National Library of Scotland

However, as the 21st Century becomes ever more dominated by the emergence of highly-interdependent international knowledge economies, the nature of this “anchor” relationship between universities and cities is changing. Talent, resources and opportunities are increasingly clustered within urban areas – with these agglomeration effects creating ‘spiky worlds’, where cities are superseding nations on many indicators.

Universities are now perfectly placed to navigate the seas of global talent, ideas and opportunities – translating and transporting benefits to the communities and economies in which they are anchored. Equally, universities are becoming increasingly innovative and effective in connecting places – providing a bridge between nations, cultures and economies – across which talent and communication flows in both directions.

First published: 20 April 2017

<< 2017 Mar-Apr


Find out more

Agenda and Overview