Diumenge parlava de la iniciativa de la Universitat de Warwick anomenada Knowledge Center, que em sembla ben interessant per a la comunicació de l’activitat acadèmica d’una universitat. Avui voldria comentar una iniciativa relacionada, aquest cop de la Universitat de Leicester: Leicester Exchanges. En aquest web universitari s’hi plantegen qüestions d’actualitat que són abordades per persones expertes, amb un punt de vista una mica diferent del de Warwick, ja que a Leicester es concentren més en temes d’actualitat.
HI ha breus debats com
In the latest Brief Exchanges posts Dr Paul Reilly considers what the recent Twitter cases mean for privacy in the Information Age. Dr Paul Behrens reviews The Conflict in Libya: Is it Genocide? and in Greece’s last card, Professor Panicos Demtriades argues that in its current state Greece, having reached rock bottom, has little to lose by exiting the eurozone.
però també qüestions més amples com
Recently added: Professor Panicos Demetriades believes that the eurozone better have a Plan C and asks if recents events have strengthened Greece’s bargaining position? Is it time for Greece to play its last card? Also Can the Euro Survive the Financial Crisis? Dr Adam Cygan from the University of Leicester’s School of Law presents his thoughts on whether the Euro can survive the Sovereign Debt Crisis? Also recently added, experts explore the debate surrounding Arts funding cuts. Emeritus Professor Richard Foulkes reflects on the merits of ‘cuts’, while Professor James Chapman explores whether the abolishment of the UK Film Council and its impact on the British film industry is tantamount to cultural vandalism, and Dr Janet Marstine discusses the Social Value of Museums in the context of Ai Weiwei and human rights? Click on a debate to make your voice heard.
De forma semblant a Warwick, el que es tracta en el fons és que el ciutadà pugui participar en la discussió juntament amb els acadèmics de la universitat, per tal que tothom tingui una opinió informada sobre les qüestions més actuals de la societat.
El lema de Leicester Exchanges és The Floor is Yours, i la missió deixa clares aquestes idees:
A simple but powerful truth that underpins everything that Leicester Exchanges is about.
At the University of Leicester we’re proud of our reputation for being Elite without being Elitist. We’re respected worldwide for combining world-changing research with passionate and inspiring teaching, and for our commitment to widening participation and an inclusive academic culture.
But why stop there?
What if there was a place where together we could seek answers that could change the way we live for the better? Not just Leicester academics and students but anyone and everyone with an informed opinion or an apposite question.
What if there was a place where online communities could join in discussions with leading academics and opinion leaders in a new way; to make real progress on key issues that shape our society? A place where the floor really was yours.
Leicester Exchanges is that place.
We’ve created Leicester Exchanges because we believe a university should be about empowering people to explore what they don’t know, as well as what they do know. By embracing the fact that we’re all coming at it from a slightly different place, and that every journey is personal, we’ve managed to achieve some remarkable results in our time.
And we’re confident that Leicester Exchanges, with its global reach and wide-ranging remit, will be another significant step towards re-defining what a leading university needs to be in the 21st century.
We believe that we all have a part to play in shaping our future, and that everyone has something to say that is worth listening to.
Each Leicester Exchanges debate will culminate in a Green Paper summarising the discussions and outlining the emergent ideas for decision makers, academic thinkers and opinion leaders.
So, the floor is yours; will you make the most of it?
La Universitat de Leicester recull la seva activitat de recerca al NewsBlog: http://www2.le.ac.uk/news/blog . Una forma senzilla de comunicar.
Aquesta iniciativa de Leicester m’ha servit per conèixer un web interessant: HE Comms, the social network for communications and marketing professionals working in and with the Higher Education sector. Hi ha diferents grups que van des d’editors web fins a relacions amb exestudiants (alumni). El seguiré.