Eastern promise - Tim Butler

What are the challenges that face a new campus for a university, particularly in an area - such as East London - which is in need of regeneration and investment? Can a university become integrated into the community and at the same time contribute to the regeneration of that community, both by helping individuals and the community as a whole? The authors consider these questions in relation to the new campus of the University of East London, which is to be situated in the Docklands.;The area is very diverse, and the local economy and infrastructure have undergone major restructuring in the last decade. At the same time, at a national level, there has been rapid change in the nature of higher education. Given all these changes, students, the community and business now have different expectations of their local university.;The essays in this text consider how the university should adapt itself to these changing needs and expectations. They argue that there can no longer be a single model of what a university should be. Non-traditional universities need to redefine their roles and find new ways of meeting local needs. This will include: new relationships between teachers and students; more use of information technology; more involvement in the regeneration of the local economy, including in the cultural industries; more involvement in training, including a role in lifelong learning, access courses, and other intermediate forms of education; and new partnerships with other agencies - local industry, the local state and voluntary agencies.