Being at the civic centre

We, as a University, are at the heart of our community here in the south. We have a significant impact on our society – and vice versa – and we have strong ambitions to grow and formalise our civic role.

The University launched its new Strategy for the next five years in January 2022. One significant addition is the commitment to being a Civic University.

The Strategy states: “Our foundations and heritage make the University of Southampton a gateway to the world. We are deeply committed to Southampton as a city of culture and across the region will further develop our civic role of making a positive impact.”

Underpinning these ambitions is a Civic Strategic Plan, which sets out how the University will become a truly integrated part of its local communities.

What is a ‘Civic University’?

Being a Civic University is about maximising our civic contribution and aligning our strategies with those of civic partners to develop mutually beneficial partnerships with local communities and organisations.

The UPP (University Partnerships Programme) Foundation’s Civic University Commission champions the need and role of civic universities. Its Chair, Lord Bob Kerslake, said: “Universities have an irreplaceable and unique role in helping their host communities thrive – and their own success is bound up with the success of the places that gave birth to them.”

There are four broad focus areas for the Civic Strategic Plan: ‘Partnerships’, ‘Collaboration’, ‘Place’ and ‘Impact’. The principles for our strategic plan are:

• We will work with our civic partners and businesses to achieve socioeconomic benefit

• We are committed to making a positive social impact, increasing social mobility, transforming lives and enhancing prosperity, both on the south coast of England and across the globe

• We are focused on collaborations to strengthen economies and sustainable communities across the region, and beyond.

Artwork being created during Re:Claim Southampton, a city centre street festival

Dr Lorna Colquhoun, Director of Research and Innovation Services, said: “In recent years, ‘place’ has become an increasingly relevant concept for universities. The UK Research and Development Roadmap and the Levelling Up agenda, for example, both drive home the importance of place. Additionally, UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) is now focusing on delivering economic, social and cultural benefits from research and innovation to all, including by developing research and innovation strengths across the UK in support of Levelling Up.”

Bringing ‘civic’ to life

The SO25 campaign behind Southampton’s bid to be City of Culture 2025 has led to stronger links and new relationships with the city that will further embed the University in the local community.

Professor Fraser Sturt, who helped to coordinate the bid, said: “Southampton went for City of Culture because there is such strength here that isn’t well known – the universities, nascent industries, and a burgeoning cultural scene. But there is also a lot of deprivation and need which stands out at a national scale. We have very significant challenges that are knowable and addressable, and we wanted to use culture to speak to that need.

“Now is an opportunity for the University to strengthen its community links and make a commitment to the city and region. An opportunity to think about what our role could be, how our expertise in research and innovation can make the biggest contribution, whilst also recognising the significance of the fact that we are a really large community within the city – staff and students.”

An example of the University’s civic ambitions coming to life via new links is a new £250,000 grant for a project called Pathways to Health, under UK Research and Innovation’s Mobilising Community Assets to Tackle Health Inequalities programme.

Led by Joanna Sofaer, Professor of Archaeology, Pathways to Health is a nine-month project that brings together academics, civic leaders, health professionals, NGOs, and cultural organisations to learn from young people (aged 11 to 16) from deprived communities in Southampton.

Consultations carried out as part of the Southampton City of Culture bid revealed that access to culture-based health and well-being opportunities for young people are widely divergent across the city. Furthermore, young people paint a different picture of the city – its strengths, assets and opportunities – from that of adults. The project will seek to understand what culture means to young people, using that understanding to reimagine cultural provision within an integrated care system and to identify ways that young people can use arts and culture for self-care to reduce future health challenges.

Breakdancing in the streets of Southampton

Embedded in the community

The University is already embedded in the local community in a myriad of ways. Working with partners to share knowledge, resources, skills and expertise is something that already happens in all corners of the University – and something that will be built upon.

A major report released in October 2022 found that the University generates £4.14 billion of annual impact across the UK economy –putting in the spotlight our influence on our local and wider community. The report, by independent consultancy London Economics, said £1.6 billion of impact occurs in the South East, with a significant proportion occurring in Southampton itself. Read more about our Economic Impact Report on page 8.

Our LifeLab programme (featured on page 36) and our Social Impact Lab (featured on page 22) are shining examples of partnership working. The University is also a member of the Hampshire Universities Together Network (which includes Solent, Winchester, Portsmouth and Southampton) which identifies opportunities for working together.

Southampton has awarded 10 Ukrainian Sanctuary Scholarships in 2022, enabling Ukrainian student refugees to study at the University.

Southampton is also working towards becoming a University of Sanctuary. The status recognises good practice by universities in fostering inclusivity and awareness, involving commitments to welcome and support people fleeing conflict and persecution.