A trio of Indiana University officials played integral roles in a recently established framework that defines the roles that colleges and universities play in modern economic development and the methods they can use to better pursue that mission.
The two-year project — taken on by the University Economic Development Association (UEDA) and the Association of Public Land-grant Universities (APLU) recently culminated in a joint publication titled “Higher Education Engagement in Economic Development: Foundations for Strategy and Practice.”
Published in August, its contributors include IU’s Vice President of Engagement Bill Stephan, IU’s Assistant Vice President for Economic Development David Gard and Susan Sciame-Giesecke, chancellor of Indiana University Kokomo.
Beyond basic frameworks and methods, the publication also explains how economic engagement at the university level goes beyond research, technology transfer and incubators and ultimately works to enhance their community’s overall competitiveness. Such is accomplished through three core missions — talent, innovation and place (developing talent, driving innovation and connecting with/providing stewardship for their host communities).
“When an institution has active and effective programs in all three realms and in their intersections — the institution is achieving what we may call high-impact economic engagement.”
— Excerpt from “Higher Education Engagement in Economic Development”
To learn more about the evolving mission and roles that institutions of higher learning play in economic development, the 28-page report is available here.
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