Welcome to Policy Birmingham, a blog from the Public Affairs team at the University of Birmingham about research impact and topical issues in public policy.
It’s hardly controversial to believe that evidence should play an important role in policy making. While political factors will always be important, we all want our policy makers to make decisions that are informed by evidence and rigorous research.
With a globally-renowned higher education sector, the UK is in a strong position to pioneer evidence-based policy making. There’s no shortage of know-how, but mobilising this expertise can sometimes be a challenge. Academic expertise and research outputs aren’t always easily accessible to policy makers who are short on time.
Recognising that barriers to effective collaboration exist is the first step. The question is, what can we do about it? Well, in part, it’s about building a culture of public policy engagement on campus – and that’s something the Public Affairs team is actively trying to do at the University of Birmingham. We facilitate training sessions for academics and professional services staff to help them develop the right skills and mindset to engage effectively with public policy. At the same time, we also function as knowledge brokers, identifying relevant opportunities and supporting colleagues through the engagement process.
But that’s only half of the story. We’re also working hard to ensure that our research outputs and academic expertise are more easily accessible for policy makers and shapers. That’s why we created our new web hub to act as a one-stop-shop for policy makers interested in working with the University of Birmingham.
With a globally-renowned higher education sector, the UK is in a strong position to pioneer evidence-based policy making.
Which brings us onto this blog. Our plan is to share content that appeals to both internal and external audiences, helping to foster a culture of political engagement while also providing a space to showcase our academic expertise and public policy ideas. So, whether you work in policy or academia, we do hope you’ll like what we do.
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