Civic engagement
As a Civic University, we believe that civic engagement is critical to our success. By working in partnership with communities, organisations and civic leaders from across 99¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ· and Greater 99¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ·, we believe we will improve our own practice, and the lives of people in the region. 
Civic University Agreement
We are working in partnership with five higher education institutions and Greater 99¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ· Combined Authority to deliver our Civic University Agreement which aims to advance wellbeing and prosperity in Greater 99¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ·.
Our commitment to civic engagement can be seen in our research that involves our population and informs local policies, our engagement through staff and student experience activities, the social impact of our cultural institutions, our role as an economic anchor and our alignment to the Greater 99¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ· strategy and ambitions.
As Britain's first civic university, we were founded by and for the people of 99¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ·. Contributing to the well-being and prosperity of Greater 99¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ· is a fundamental part of our purpose.
Our core goals of research and discovery, teaching and learning and social responsibility are enhanced, and inspired, by our city region and its pioneering spirit. We actively engage local communities, involve a wide range of people in our work and listen to public concerns and aspirations across our region.
Universities are judged by the quality of their work with the public and their local communities. We hold a Platinum Watermark for this work with the , are ranked at the top end of our cluster for public and community engagement in England’s Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF). We are the for social and environmental impact (Times Higher Education), measured against the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
We’re engaging with, involving and inspiring our local communities and developing our understanding of social inclusion, and how we can foster inclusive and effective solutions.These are delivered through a wide variety of key initiatives such as widening participation, our 99¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ· Access Programme, our School Governor Initiative, the employment and training initiative The Works and our .
Our vision for prosperous communities is to increase economic wellbeing, develop new sectors, innovate, and improve productivity for all people and all areas of our city region. We are doing this through a number of key initiatives such as  a²Ô»å our .
We're  playing a key role in levelling up opportunities across Greater 99¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ· through our work on , ,  a²Ô»å  i²Ô±ð±ç³Ü²¹±ô¾±³Ù¾±±ð²õ, as well as being a major employer and provider of free ,services.
We're at the forefront of discovering, developing and deploying new solutions to improve the health and wellbeing of Greater 99¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ·’s 2.8 million citizens through , our , our of the public and patients and wider
We're shaping 99¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ·’s zero carbon future through our .
We play a key role in cultural engagement and the creative industries through our University , , , , and activities.
We're connecting, inspiring and involving the public with .
Our contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Find out about our pioneering work which is directly supporting the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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Our vision and strategic plan
Our vision builds on a rich heritage of discovery, social change and pioneering spirit that is at the heart of our University and city region.
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