Embedding Public Engagement within Higher Education: Lessons from the Beacons for Public Engagement in the United Kingdom

Universities in the United Kingdom are increasingly looking to improve their engagement with the public. Developing an outward-facing, dynamic, and two-way exchange with the world outside the academy is being encouraged by a host of external policy drivers—but also by the values of many in the sector who believe that universities are there to “make a difference” and to transform individuals’ lives.