UCL President: Universities Must Show They Bring Benefits To Everyone, Locally And Nationally

(MENAFN- The Conversation) Editor's note: The Conversation's operation in the UK is based at UCL in London, where around half of the 25-strong editorial team have desks. It is a physical representation of our integrated position within the institution and the UK Higher Education sector.

We were founded in the UK in 2013, to channel research-based knowledge to the wider public. More than 70 UK institutions are now members of the project, along with 13 worldwide. That means we're keenly aware of the challenges facing the sector, as well as the incredible value it brings to society as a whole. Here, Michael Spence, President & Provost of UCL, writes about the necessity for higher education institutions to engage with their communities, and universities' role in national and local life.

UK universities are rightly respected around the world for their academic rigour, openness, and ingenuity. I'm proud of UCL's close connection with The Conversation, which showcases this expertise daily.

As someone who has worked within this remarkable higher education sector for many years, I know how tempting it is to leap to its defence when it is criticised. However, there are moments when it is important to listen. With increasing dissatisfaction in institutions around the Western world, now is one of them. In doing so, we must be careful not to dismiss criticism or to exaggerate the sense of public dissatisfaction. We must meet the public where they are.

That's why I was glad that UCL Policy Lab with More in Common, through a series of polls and focus group discussions, recently chose to look closely at how the public sees the role and value of universities today. Their work finds that the British public still hold a deep affection for our universities – indeed they remain a source of national, local and personal pride.

Around 60% of the public see universities as a benefit to the nation, a similar number see them as a local asset. Where many institutions are perceived to be fractured or in decline, universities stand out: globally respected yet deeply embedded in their communities.

In these turbulent times maintaining this trust is far from guaranteed. The report also makes clear where there is growing concern and division over the benefit and role of universities. This includes on the perception that some degrees do not prepare students for the workplace and the finding that only around half of the population say they are aware universities carry out research.

Yet the most striking finding of the report, and the one that should give us most pause for thought, is the gap between the affection of graduates for universities and the relative scepticism of those that have not attended higher education. Voters that see Reform as the answer to their frustrations are overwhelmingly non-graduates.

The clear challenge for us is therefore to show we are serving the whole country whether they attended university or not. It's easy to respond to this by saying we need to tell a better story – to communicate more clearly the value we bring to the nation. That is true, but it's not the whole picture. The message I take away is that the public expect change to address their concerns, but not a revolution of institutions that they remain proud of.

The public's frustration with how many aspects of the country are working – or not working – is real. Universities must not be oblivious to that, and while the overall picture is a positive one, it will not remain so without our showing the requisite leadership to maintain and extend public trust. In setting out the Post 16 Education and Skills White Paper, the government has been clear that universities are expected to take the lead in defining their public purpose.

I have been heartened to see more university leaders start to tackle these challenges. For our part at UCL it starts with our deep commitment to our place in London and serving the communities around us. That includes our long-established partnership with our home borough, Camden Council, working with them on the variety of ways our university can serve the local community. Whether that is through a thoughtful approach to local planning, the“Good Life Euston” project measuring how regeneration affects Euston's communities, supporting the curriculum development for young people at the London AI campus, or facilitating the volunteering work of our Students Union to distribute toys to families in need at Christmas.

Euston Road, London. Felix Mizioznikov/Shutterstock

More recently we have built an approach to civil society partnerships that recognises the university's responsibility to communities across Britain. The focus has been on building deep and lasting regional partnerships in areas outside of London where our work can have the most benefit. In the North East of England, one ongoing project aims to support the development of social infrastructure in Sacriston, a former mining village in County Durham. Another project in Sunderland focuses on men's mental health.

Of course, we must not lose sight of the fact that the power of university research is that so much of it, by its very nature, is at the service of all. This is not just in the knowledge we make available freely to the public, but the transformative impact it can have on lives.

Nowhere is this clearer than in health research and clinical trials, an area where UCL does a huge amount. From aiding the development of medical breakthroughs like the first ever successful treatment for slowing the progression of Huntington's disease, announced in October, to helping improve treatment approaches, as the STAMPEDE trial has done with over 12,000 men with prostate cancer, to the remarkable progress being made with gene therapies – with a“base-editing” technique shown to reverse incurable leukaemia, just this week. It does not matter to the patient where their treatment was developed, if it can save or improve their lives. Our report demonstrates that while the public have a clear sense of the importance of this research, universities' role in it is not widely understood. This is something we must address.

No responses to demonstrate we serve the whole nation can engender trust if there is a perception that our doors are closed to some communities. Further work on widening participation is therefore fundamental. I am proud that a third of our recent undergraduate students entered through our Access UCL programme. However, this commitment means not only enabling attendance at university but attainment while here, on which we have a renewed focus.

It is equally important to demonstrate that we are welcoming of diverse views that reflect the whole nation. Genuine diversity of perspectives and backgrounds is fundamental to what we do as a university. Good-faith disagreement between informed participants with a range of views and experiences enhances university life, strengthens our research and makes us better able to serve the communities in which we are based. It is to this end we have developed our teaching of the skills of disagreement, hosted difficult conversations on campus and continue to work across our whole community on the challenge of social polarisation under the banner of our Disagreeing Well campaign.

At a time when public trust in institutions is under strain across the Western world, we can take heart from the continued public support for UK universities. While we cannot be complacent, I remain confident that we can make the necessary changes and demonstrate to the public, whether they attended university or not, that we serve their interests. The task of doing so starts with listening.

MENAFN17122025000199003603ID1110492137