2. Public Engagement Activities

There is no hard and fast list of which activities count as public engagement, and there is a diversity of approaches across the sector reflecting different institutional missions and foci.  The list below was developed for a recent baseline survey of activity.  For many people we have talked to, public engagement is best understood not as a set of activities that institutions engage in, but as an institutional approach. 

"For Newcastle University, engagement refers to the many ways in which we interact with wider society. Engagement is not a 'third strand': rather, engagement is a critical approach to how we do our teaching and research activities."

— Professor Paul Younger, PVC Engagement, Newcastle University

Public engagement activities could include:

• Presenting to the public (eg public lectures or talks)
• Co-produced research, with the public helping to shape the research question, design and/or delivery
• Seeking public input into your research
• Writing for the non-specialist public
• Judging external competitions
• Media work aimed at a non-specialist audience (press, TV, radio, podcasts)
• Taking part in a public event/debate
• Working with museums / galleries / science centres and other cultural venues
• Attendance at fairs /exhibitions to which members of the public are invited
• Seeking to influence public policy
• Students working with the public as part of their course (eg applying research skills in a community context)
• Providing 'lifelong learning' opportunities (eg short courses or study days)
• Volunteering on behalf of the university
• Advisory processes - providing advice to members of the public or external organisations
• Facilitating the use of university facilities by the public
• Working with teachers/schools

Find out more

UCL Beacon for Public Engagement recently surveyed its staff to find out more about their attitudes to engagement and what activities they were undertaking.  Click here to find out more and to download the final report.

Coming soon

We are working with Newcastle University on an international literature review that attempts to categorize different kinds of engagement activity.  Sign up to our newsletter and we'll alert you when it's published.