Exploring the Public Role of the University: An interdisciplinary Symposium

The initiative builds on Bartlett Publics: Pluralising, a webinar series held in 2022-23, to enable cross-learning on the principles and practices of international engagement best able to catalyse universities’ public role and societal relevance. It builds on further schemes, such as UCL’s application to become a University of Sanctuary, an initiative by the IAS based Refuge in A Moving World network. In January 2025, a brainstorming session jointly run by the IAS and the Bartlett brought colleagues from wider UCL disciplines into the conversation. 

The 9th June workshop is an extension of these activities, with a focus on BEAMS perspectives, alongside insights from international colleagues with extensive experience in thinking and practising universities’ public role.

We see the timely relevance of collective reflection such as this, in a context of intensifying multifaceted crises - from growing inequalities, to the climate emergency, including pandemic risks, the as-yet unknown impacts of rapidly developing AI and increasingly volatile/polarised domestic and international political environments. 

Questioning the public role of the university and its potential positive contribution is equally pertinent in the current juncture marked by important strains in the UK (and international) higher education system. Such strains are manifest externally in the querying of the relevance and legitimacy of science; and internally, through issues as wide-ranging as financial viability and the spaces for contention. In this context, we recognise the need for interdisciplinary discussions within our UCL community, to help sharpen and review what defines our public role across the core functions of the university - education, research, public engagement and operations. 

We very much hope you can join us on 9th June and are excited at the prospect of engaging with you!

Organisers:  

Barbara Lipietz, Professor in Urban Development Planning at the Bartlett Development Planning Unit and Bartlett Vice Dean International

Nicola Miller, Professor of Latin American History and Director of the Institute of Advanced Studies

With inputs from: 

Mona Fawaz, Professor of Urban Studies and Planning, American University of Beirut, Co-Founder of the Beirut Urban Lab

Graham Hart, Professor of Sexual Health & HIV Research, Co-Director of UCL’s Health of the Public

Caren Levy, Emeritus Professor of Transformative Planning at UCL

David Osrin, Professor of Global Health, Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow, Honorary Consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children 

Christina Pagel, Professor of Operational Research, Member of Independent SAGE

Alison Phipps, Professor of Languages and Intercultural Studies, UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts, University of Glasgow

Neha Sami, Associate Dean, School of Environment and Sustainability, Senior Lead, Academics and Research, Indian Institute of Human Settlements 

Tristram Wyatt, Honorary Research Fellow, Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research (CBER)