Introduction

Within the current climate, UK higher education institutions are facing a challenging time operating against a backdrop of financial, cultural and political change. One thing we know for certain is that universities will need to work more closely than ever with policy, business, non-governmental organisations and the multiple communities that make up the society we live in. Now more than ever it is considered pivotal to rethink the relationship and interactions between higher education and society. Simply, there is a pressing need for universities to communicate and engage effectively with the world. The result is a movement in agendas within the UK higher education sector where ideas of ‘participation’, ‘engagement’ and ‘involvement’ are becoming prevalent.

In this chapter, we provide a context to the evolution of the concept of public engagement within the UK higher education sector and focus on a specific initiative: the Beacons for Public Engagement (BPE) programme at University College London (UCL), which aimed to embed public engagement within such institutions. We draw on a journey of public engagement as the case study (three collaborative projects: Food Junctions, Foodpaths and The Food Junctions Cookbook). Two particular reasons make this journey an interesting case study. First, it is exemplary of the wider approach to public engagement at the UCL-led Beacon. Second, it illustrates a nuanced evaluation processes that provides enabling conditions for communities and universities to work together.

We highlight that public engagement is changing and dynamic – it is a journey; however, whatever the scope or scale of the journey there are some challenges to be addressed if public engagement is to be effective. Moreover, we expose the enabling conditions for communities and universities to work together; the authors recommend the five conditions to generate effective engagement, particularly through nuanced evaluation and support. In this case, evaluation and support can be seen as a pathway – bridging the gaps between theory and reality of engagement, between strategy and practice, and between the communities and academia – to ensure communities and universities to work together to impact on the university, research practice, communities and ultimately society. The key themes that have arisen from our learning provide a base for critical awareness, for those with a role or responsibility in the process of community and university collaborations.