Keep bursting HE bubble to boost outputs, says Chair of Research England

Universities must continue to burst the academic bubble and engage with the world around them to ensure research is fully relevant and impactful, according to a leading higher education figure.

David Sweeney, Executive Chair of Research England, said universities had worked hard over the last 15 years to work with external partners.

But he urged institutions to increase contact with entrepreneurs, business and community groups to help galvanise research work.

And he said that the sector should quickly address and resolve questions around funding and other internal challenges in order to allow institutions to focus on outward-facing issues.

Delivering the keynote speech of the deK London Business Conference at Goldsmiths, Mr Sweeney said: “Research agendas are best informed by external engagement, and even more so when that engagement challenges us.

“We have ideas that can transform society but these have no use if they are confined in institutions. We’ve got to listen to people outside universities to see understand how they see the challenges.”

He added: “Universities are only what their staff working together can do. Some of the internal challenges are preventing us from moving forward and we must face up to them rather than just long-grassing them.”

Mr Sweeney said that Goldsmiths was an example of a higher education institution which achieves real connections in its knowledge-exchange and engagement.

He said: “Goldsmiths is a brilliant example of a university embedded within a local community that’s also engaging with global issues. 

“Places like this bely traditional way of thinking that seem to view the Oxbridge model as the only way to work. Every time I’ve visited this place I always come away excited by the people and everything that’s going on.”

More than 100 delegates attended the event on campus, with workshops led by academics from Goldsmiths alongside colleagues from London Southbank University, the Health Innovation Network and private sector representatives including Deutsche Bank, Mizuho Bank and Santander.

Event organiser Aidan Sheridan, Enterprise Manager, said: “The aim of the conference was to deliver an inspiring programme to stimulate ideas around business growth through cultural and technological innovations.

“The day presented examples of the wealth of knowledge and support available to businesses through the deK Business Growth scheme and a range of other ERDF funded schemes.”