Events – presenting work/speaking engagements
- On the 10th of May, Professor Simon Collinson was a keynote speaker at a Westminster Higher Education Forum event on: “UK universities and their contribution to local and regional development – the developing policy landscape, opportunities, practicalities, and impact”.
- On the 12th of May, Professor Simon Collinson was a panellist at the Times Higher Education (THE) UK Academic Salon on Wednesday 12th May in a session “Next steps towards a place-based strategy for science and innovation”.
- On the 18th – 20th of May, Professor Simon Collinson and Professor John Goddard were part of the team organising the inaugural Civic Universities Annual Conference on The Civic Movement: Universities Working in Partnership with University Chancellor Lord Karan Bilimoria, Lord Bob Kerslake and the Minister of State for Universities, Michelle Donelan MP opening the conference. Professor Collinson hosted a session on ‘ The contribution of universities to inclusive regional growth’ and Professor Goddard co-hosted a session with OECD on ‘Civic Universities around the World’.
- On the 19th of May, Professor Raquel Ortega-Argiles presented at the Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum – Priorities for the UK Infrastructure Bank.
- On the 27th of May, WMREDI, Centre for Cities and the Industrial Strategy Council (ISC) held an event to mark the launch of a report produced by WMREDI and the ISC called “Devolution and Governance Structures in the UK: Lessons from Evidence”.
- On the 27th of May, Professor Anne Green and Rebecca Riley presented on ‘Megatrends’ to the Midlands Engine Intelligence Community.
Media engagements
- How will Brexit impact the levelling agenda? Prof Raquel Ortega-Argiles writes for the New Statesman.
- Dr Abigail Taylor co-wrote a blog with Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation, for the Social Policy Association, on behalf of the Employment Policy in Context Group which is co-led by Anne Green. The blog examines the future of UK employment in a post-pandemic world.
Reports / publications released
- Dr Abigail Taylor, Anne Green and Sara Hassan published a WMREDI Policy Briefing and longer report examining the role that universities and colleges in the West Midlands can and should play in up-skilling and re-skilling.
- Professor Simon Collinson contributed to the UK Academic Salon 2021 Report produced by the Times Higher Education.
- The Bevan Foundation has published a short report entitled Fair work in the foundational economy: key data drawn from work by Paul Sissons and Anne Green on the foundational economy.
Awards/ Funding
- Professor Raquel Ortega-Argiles is part of a Pioneering Partnership to Boost Regional Innovation. The University of Birmingham, The University of Manchester and the Connected Places Catapult has launched the Consortium for Research in Innovative and Strategic Public Procurement (CRISPP) which aims to gather evidence and develop best practice guidance for public sector bodies seeking new ways of delivering public services.
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