Political context and system conditions for university community engagement

The paper explores whether the political context and institutional settings of the higher education system are elements that could affect the community engagement of universities and how much it is likely to be transformative for academia. The questions guiding the research are: (1) How do country characteristics influence the emergence of community engagement practices? (2) What elements at the higher education system level are likely to create environments conducive for public engagement? Using a multi-level case study approach combining data, documentary analysis and interviews in three European countries – France, Italy and the United Kingdom – the paper findings show the different community engagement pathways implemented in the countries analysed. The findings also show that, beyond government actors and intermediaries, civil society’s trust in science and its propensity for associationism and networking are crucial to understanding the reasons for different community engagement approaches and their transformative potential. Conclusions present further research avenues and suggestions for policy makers based on the results.