ABSTRACT
One way to look at the higher education (HE) sector in England is to see the shift in regulatory attention from institutions to students. On a national level, as well as the HE sector’s regulatory conditions, a university may have a legitimate interest in engaging with environmental policy or international relations as they relate to the conduct of research and education. To achieve the most mature approaches to external engagement and policy influence, universities should adopt – and promote – a culture which recognises the importance of the activity and demonstrates to colleagues that the work is valued. The traditional model for external policy influence by universities has been a benign amateurism where hope and accident have been primary tools for policy influence. Universities should accept that external policy influence is core business, both to further their own institutional success and as a tool for effective positive outcomes as part of their wider mission to do good in society.
