CENTRE FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Professor Anthony HollanderAs scientists, we're sometimes viewed as another species. I'm on a bit of a mission to break down that stereotype by showing that I'm a human being.
School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Reasons to engage
Public engagement benefits society, researchers and the University. Involving the public in discussions about research can open up new lines of enquiry and inform public debate. It also helps ensure that the outputs of research are useful to and used by society, and encourages young people to consider further academic study. From a researcher’s point of view, as well as enriching research and teaching, public engagement can be motivating and help transferable skills development.
“Public engagement is aimed at everybody. That's why I do it, so that more people have the chance to experience new things."
Dr Caroline McKinnon
Public engagement ...
....can help individual members of staff and students by:
- enriching research, leading to the formulation of new lines of enquiry
- enhancing teaching and learning
- motivating staff and students, helping them see the relevance and utility of their work to the wider community
- developing communication and other transferable skills
- fulfilling research funders’ expectations for public engagement.
...increases involvement of the public in the work of the University, which can:
- enrich people’s lives, raising the level of public discussion and increasing public access to, interest in and contribution to knowledge
- ensure that academic staff are aware of issues important to society that are relevant to their research, and enable academics to work with members of the public to tackle societal issues together
- encourage school students, from all backgrounds, to consider further academic study
- encourage adults to explore and engage with lifelong learning
- encourage members of the local community to become involved with the University’s work and activities.
...can aid the University, by:
What's in it for me?
Research Councils UK has produced a booklet called: What's in it for me? The benefits of public engagement (PDF 1 MB) which includes a selection of highlights and experiences of a range of researchers across the UK about the positive benefits arising from engaging with the public.
Download publication (PDF 1 MB)- broadening input to decision-making
- raising the profile of the University and increasing its distinctiveness, locally, nationally and internationally, both as an Engaged University and as a centre of excellence in public engagement
- helping to achieve widening participation and recruitment goals
- encouraging local people to consider looking for employment at the University
- helping to achieve greater openness and accountability
- engendering trust, and so improving public relations
- helping to deliver the University’s corporate responsibility.
Note: some of the documents on this page are in PDF format. In order to view a PDF you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader