This has just been brought to my attention and you can see the origin below.

A forum for critical and radical geographers ([email protected]) on Behalf Of Heur B (van) (VKS) ([email protected])

AAG 2012
New York City, 24-28 February 2012

Session proposal: 'The University and the City'
Organisers: Andrew Karvonen (University of Manchester), Bas van Heur (Maastricht University), and James Evans (University of Manchester)

Many universities are physically situated in urban areas but have tenuous cultural, political, economic, and physical connections to their local and regional contexts. This is due in part to the reputation of the university as a citadel of knowledge generation that transcends its local surroundings to engage in global academic networks. However, universities are changing rapidly as research and teaching agendas are increasingly focusing on applied activities aimed at entrepreneurship, policy development, hands-on learning, cultural capital, environmental sustainability, and so on. Such activities have significant implications for the role of the university with respect to the cities and city-regions in which they are situated.

This paper session will examine the changing role of urban universities by various drivers including but not limited to economic development, job training, creative industries, community engagement, service learning, participatory research, experimental governance, and urban laboratories. We are interested in the partnerships being created between academic institutions and various urban stakeholders (e.g., government authorities, civic and private sector organisations, community groups, and so on) as well as the emerging material relations between universities and their neighbouring communities. The session will contribute to contemporary debates on how universities can contribute more effectively to the issues facing cities and city-regions in the future.

The organisers welcome abstracts of 250 words or less by 14 September 2011. Please send inquiries and abstracts to [email protected].