Overview
Aims and objectives
This research, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, was carried in 2011 and analysed the pattern, scope and impact of interactions between academics in the Arts & Humanities with external organisations in the private, public and third sectors. The research used the academic and business survey datasets created for the project ‘University-Industry Knowledge Exchange: demand pull, supply push and the public space role of higher education institutions’ to provide a detailed and comprehensive picture of such interactions in the UK and evaluated them in a comparative context with other disciplines.
The analysis was based on three unique and contemporary databases: first, the CBR survey of over 22,000 academics; second, the CBR survey of over 2,000 business enterprises in all sectors of the UK economy; third, a series of case studies of interactions between academics from the Arts and Humanities with other organisations. The academic survey contains details of the interactions and characteristics of 3,650 academics from the Arts and Humanities. The enterprise survey contains information on the range of interactions between the business community and the university sector, including an identification of interactions with different disciplines, including the Arts and Humanities. The case studies comprise an analysis of 33 interactions between academics from the Arts and Humanities with other organisations.
The report, the biggest study of its kind to focus on the arts and humanities is based on these three unique datasets and reveals several key findings: the arts and humanities are highly connected within the UK economy; they have significant links to the private sector; the academic benefits of knowledge exchange; benefits to students and the issues surrounding knowledge exchange.
The report enhances the AHRC’s understanding of the challenges and opportunities in knowledge exchange. It builds on and reinforces the work that the AHRC has undertaken in this important area and it will allow the AHRC to develop appropriate, evidence-based funding models and guidance.
Project leaders
Alan Hughes
Michael Kitson
Senior research fellow
Jocelyn Probert
Project dates
2011
Funding
Arts & Humanities Research Council
Output
Reports
Hughes, A., Kitson, M and Probert,J. with Bullock, A and Milner, I. (2011) Hidden Connections: Knowledge Exchange between the Arts and Humanities and the Private Public and Third Sectors, AHRC and CBR London, May.
Hughes, A., Kitson, M., Probert, J., Bullock A. and Milner I. (2011), Knowledge Exchange between Arts and Humanities and the Private, Public and Third Sectors: A comparative perspective; Final report to the Arts and Humanities Research Council March 2010, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge.
Hughes, A., Kitson, M., Bullock A. and Milner I. (2010), Knowledge Exchange between Arts and Humanities and the Private, Public and Third Sectors: A comparative perspective; Second interim report to the Arts and Humanities Research Council Oct 2010, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge.
Hughes, A., Kitson, M., Bullock A. and Milner I. (2010), Knowledge Exchange between Arts and Humanities and the Private, Public and Third Sectors: A comparative perspective; An interim report to the Arts and Humanities Research Council Sept 2010, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge.
Other publications
Hughes, A. (2010), ‘The Multi-faceted Role of Universities’, ESRC Society Now, Summer 2010 Issue 7, In Focus: p.8.
Hughes, A. (2010), ‘Universities, industry and society: The multiple Role of Higher Education in Britain’, Britain in 2010 (ESRC Newsstand Magazine), p.33, November.
Kitson, M. (2009), ‘The myth of the ivory tower’, Research Fortnight, 18 November, p.16.
Presentations
Hughes, A. and Kitson, M. (2011), ‘Hidden Connections Knowledge exchange between the arts and humanities and the private, public and third sectors’, RCUK Staff Seminar, Swindon, 24 August.
Hughes, A. (2011), ‘Shaping National Innovation Systems: Cargo Cults and the Evidence Base’,2011 Gulf Research Meeting: Workshop 7: Shaping the Gulf National Innovation Systems, King’s College, Cambridge, 8 July.
Hughes, A. (2011), ‘University-Industry Links: Science and Innovation Policy: Lessons from the UK and the US’, China Executive Education Programme, Møller Centre, Cambridge, 7 July.
Hughes, A. (2011), ‘Evidence on Knowledge Exchange in UK Science, Engineering, the Humanities and the Social Sciences: A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective’, TIP-OECD Workshop on Knowledge Networks and Markets, OECD, Paris, 15 June 2011.
Hughes, A. (2011), ‘Current Thinking in Investigating Impact’, Investigating Academic Impact Conference, London School of Economics, 13th June 2011.
Hughes, A. (2011), ‘Social Scientists and Knowledge Exchange in the UK: A comparative analysis with “STEM” disciplines’, 61st Political Studies Association Annual Conference Transforming Politics: New Synergies, Novotel London West, 19 – 21 April.
Hughes, A. (2011), ‘Why the arts and humanities matter’, CRASSH SPECIAL EVENT: The Arts and Humanities: Endangered Species? Placing value beyond the fiscal, CRASSH, 17 Mill Lane, Cambridge, 25 February.
Hughes, A. (2011), ‘The Higher Education Knowledge Exchange Systems in the United States and the UK:Some Implications of recent research findings’, Meeting of the Innovation and Emerging Technologies Policy Panel, Savoy Place, London, 23 February.
Hughes, A. (2011), ‘Transferring Knowledge between Universities and the Public and Private Sector: The Role played by Academics’, ESRC Conference: Facilitating and supporting public services innovation: what do we know and what do we need to know, University of Bath, 11 February.
Hughes, A. (2010), ‘Re-thinking Impact: Private and Public R&D in an Age of Austerity’, UK~IRC Innovation Summit, Judge Business School, Cambridge, 7 December.
Hughes, A. (2010), ‘University-Industry Links and Science Innovation Policy in the UK’, Seminar organised by JST National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP), Tokyo, 29 November.
Hughes, A. (2010), ‘University-Industry Links and Science Innovation Policy in the UK’, Seminar at ITEC, Doshisha University 1 December.
Hughes, A. (2010), The Higher Education Knowledge Exchange Systems in the United States and the UK: Some Implications of recent research findings’, Conference: Universities and their Regional Impacts: Making a Difference to the Economy and Society, Edinburgh, 17 November.
Hughes, A. (2010), ‘Science Funding and the UK Economy: The Evidence Base, Invited presentation at the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee: Seminar on the Relationship between Science Funding and the UK’, Portcullis House, London, 25 October.
Hughes, A. (2010), ‘The Future’, The Cambridge Phenomenon Conference, Wellcome Trust Centre, Hinxton, 5 October.