University-civic engagement in the time of the pandemic

The arrival of a global pandemic would seem to demand a wide-ranging response from universities committed to contributing to society and to their local areas. The nature of COVID-19 impacted all the domains in which universities take an active part in civic society. In the UK the pandemic arrived at a time when universities were developing civic engagement agreements with their host cities. These new civic partnerships, in some cases involving more than one university in a city, had a remit encompassing health as well as economic and social development. These plans were swiftly repositioned to deal with COVID-19 as part of city-wide emergency plans to manage the immediate effects of the pandemic and the economic shutdown. This chapter explores the responses made by the two universities in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, working with local partners. It examines the nature of the relationships developed and the steps taken. In both universities there were a variety of local responses addressing both the immediate health needs and the long-term economic revival of the city. Working together the universities developed a city-wide partnership to support ongoing engagement within the framework of a civic university agreement.