The Universities of Auckland, Glasgow and Melbourne have established with the support of U21 an interest group of academics within the fields of Lifelong Learning, Regional Development and cognate disciplines to share strategic vision, best practice and engage in benchmarking activities. The focus of the group will be on effective knowledge transfer, 3rd mission activities, and other engagements that contribute to regional development and to the success of our institutions. This work would build on the work of PASCAL Observatory, a consortium with regional government and university members and strong links with the OECD (see http://www.obs-pascal.com). It has a European base in Glasgow, which has already undertaken substantial research into the role of Universities within their regions, both mapping and benchmarking practice through its PURE (Pascal Universities Regional Engagement) project.
