Grand Challenges lecture series Grand Challenges 2018-2019 | Page 5

Professor Trevor McMillan
INNOVATION AND
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
IN UNIVERSITIES: THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
FRAMEWORK
07 NOVEMBER 2018 6.00PM-7.00PM
KEELE HALL, THE BALLROOM
Universities play a key societal role in
supporting and enhancing the performance of
a wide range of communities and organisations
at local, regional, national and global scales.
The nature of this, however, depends on the
characteristics and strategies of individual
universities. Academic strengths, portfolio
and local environment all play a role in
determining the nature and level of interaction
with outside bodies. The importance of this
has been recognised for some time by
government in different ways and it is critical
that we can demonstrate the extent and
success of knowledge exchange in universities
and commit to getting better at it.
A Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF)
should provide a mechanism for assessing
performance and approaches to improvement,
against the backdrop of the enormous variety
of activities carried out in universities, and the
variation between universities, in terms of what
is appropriate for them to focus on. This lecture
will consider the current proposed approaches
to a Knowledge Exchange Framework.
Professor Trevor McMillan became
Vice-Chancellor of Keele University in August
2015. Before moving to Keele as Deputy
Vice-Chancellor and Provost in January 2014,
he was at Lancaster University where he was
Head of the Department of Biological Sciences,
Dean of the Institute of Environmental and
Natural Sciences and then Pro Vice-Chancellor
for Research. Trevor is a radiation biologist
and has published widely on the use of X-rays
in radiotherapy and the harmful effects of long
wavelength UV radiation in sunlight. Currently,
he has a national role as Knowledge Exchange
Champion for Research England and has
recently published a report on technology
transfer from universities, the recommendations
of which are to be implemented by government.
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