Guide 01/39

Regional profiles of higher education

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Contents

Introduction

1. This is the third annual edition of our ‘regional profiles’ of higher education. As in previous years, the report sets out a range of data on the pattern of higher education in each of the nine regions in England.

2. The regional dimension of higher education (HE) continues to grow in importance. HE retains its core academic and intellectual purposes of teaching students and undertaking research, which transcend any particular geographical boundaries. But there is increasing recognition that universities and colleges do not operate in isolation from the communities in which they are located. On the contrary, they are powerful instruments for promoting the economic, social and cultural welfare and development of their localities, their regions and the nation as a whole. As the regions gain in significance as a focus for economic regeneration and development activity, particularly through the work of Regional Development Agencies, appreciation of the regional contribution of HEIs increases correspondingly.

3. We published in March 2001 a policy statement for consultation on our approach to regional issues in higher education. (1) This brings together the various ways in which the HEFCE is seeking to support HEIs in developing their regional role. It invited views on whether we were correctly articulating the regional dimension for HE, and whether there were more or different actions which we could usefully take. Comments were invited by 31 May, and a summary of responses will be published in due course.

4. At the time of writing, we are also in the final stages of a project to review in a narrative form the range of regional contributions of universities and colleges. This project is being undertaken by the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, with support from the HEFCE and Universities UK. It will produce a report for each of the nine regions in England, compiled by the relevant regional association of HEIs, which draws together information on the economic, social and cultural contributions of HE to the region. There will also be a national overview report, and a report setting out how HEIs can assess their own regional performance by reference to a set of benchmarks. The final reports are scheduled for publication in the summer.

5. There is therefore an increasingly rich range of information available about the regional role of HE. We hope that this report will contribute to continuing discussion, both to recognise how much is already being achieved, and to consider how that role can most effectively develop in the future.

Footnote

1. HEFCE 01/18: ‘Higher Education and the regions: HEFCE policy statement’; available on our web-site at www.hefce.ac.uk and from HEFCE publications.