Research leadership for the community-engaged university: key challenges

Abstract

In Great Britain, attempts to broaden university-community engagement have taken significant steps in recent years. A wide variety of community-engagement structures and activities are now emerging. This paper uses one innovative example-University of Brighton's Community-University Partnership Programme-to describe the opportunities and probe the dilemmas. The paper shows how leadership is at the heart of arrangements whereby diverse groups come together with different goals and motives to take part in a collective process. The complex leadership needed to succeed at such efforts is considered. Recommendations for institutional change and growth are made.