Universities, economic development and ‘levelling up’ – how can universities make a positive impact on their local areas?

Based on the findings of a recent report into the ways in which higher education institutions contribute to the development of their local regions. Mark Tewdwr-Jones and Louise Kempton, discuss the complexity of aligning the goals of higher education to regional economic initiatives, such as the UK government’s levelling up agenda. They also highlight how good policy for productive regional engagements, is long-term, recognises diversity within regions and higher education and cuts a balance between universities as important, but not always central, actors in regional development.