Students in London: Universities, Knowledge Economy and the Urban Experience

伦敦经常被定义为知识和创意产业的“全球中心”（Lucci and Harrison, 2011; Togni, 2015）；严重依赖高等教育机构的地位（Olsen和Peters， 2007）。“创意城市”政策和意识形态的支持者将大学定位为强大城市经济的关键组成部分，因为它们吸引了“超级创意核心”的个人（Florida, 2003: 5）。此外，大学越来越被认为是地区或国家“知识经济”的中心租户（Goddard, 1999）。很明显，某些机构认识到了这一点，并充分接受了它们作为“创意发电站”的角色（戈德史密斯，2016）。伦敦，一个被广泛宣传为“文化卓越”的城市（伦敦市长，2014年），在很大程度上主导着英国的国际化高等教育部门。2014- 2015年，伦敦大学学院招收的国际学生比英国其他任何高等教育机构都多（UKCISA, 2016），英国前20所国际学生最多的大学中有6所位于伦敦。此外，有四所伦敦大学进入了QS世界大学排名前50名（QS, 2016）。伦敦是其大学营销策略的重要组成部分，他们利用“创造力”和“知识经济”等概念来承诺在这座城市提供卓越的学生体验。然而，学生们在伦敦的经历似乎与这些描述相矛盾。只有一所位于伦敦的大学（皇家兽医学院）进入了泰晤士高等教育“学生体验调查”的前50名。这些结果基于“21项关键条款”（QS, 2016），其中许多与该机构所在地区有关。伦敦被描绘成一个充满可能性和知识的创意目的地：学生在伦敦的经历是如何与这些信息相关联或矛盾的？该提案从三个角度探讨了学生在伦敦的经历：它批判性地探讨了大学和其他机构如何以及为什么使用特定的术语或概念来代表伦敦；它探讨了这对学生的影响，并将提出建议，帮助机构和相关利益相关者支持和丰富学生的经历。以下是指示性研究问题：1。在哪些方面，伦敦被大学和其他从事高等教育部门的参与者代表为一个文化、创意或知识的目的地？这些关于伦敦作为创意和知识中心的描述如何以及在多大程度上影响了学生对伦敦大学的看法和期望？3. 大学和相关利益相关者如何支持和丰富学生在伦敦的体验？

London is frequently conceptualised and marketed as a 'global hub' of knowledge and creative industries (Lucci and Harrison, 2011; Togni, 2015); a status heavily reliant on higher education institutions (Olsen and Peters, 2007). Proponents of 'creative city' policy and ideology have positioned universities as key components of a strong urban economy, due to the 'super creative core' of individuals they attract (Florida, 2003: 5). Further, universities are increasingly considered to be central tenants of regional or national 'knowledge economies' (Goddard, 1999). It is clear that certain institutions recognise this, and fully embrace their role as 'creative powerhouses' (Goldsmiths, 2016). London, a city widely advertised for its 'cultural pre-eminence' (Mayor of London, 2014), largely dominates the internationalised higher education sector in the UK. University College London recruited more international students than any other UK Higher Education Institution in 2014-15 (UKCISA, 2016), and six of the UK's top twenty universities with most international students are based in London. Moreover, four London institutions grace the QS World Rankings' top fifty universities (QS, 2016). London is a key component of its universities' marketing strategies, who utilise concepts such as 'creativity' and 'the knowledge economy' to promise an exceptional student experience in the city. However, students' experiences of London appear to contradict these portrayals. Only one London-based university (the Royal Veterinary College) features in the top fifty Times Higher Education's 'Student Experience survey'. These results are based on '21 key provisions' (QS, 2016), many of which relate to the institution's local area. London is portrayed as a creative destination brimming with possibility and knowledge: how do students' experiences of London correlate with or contradict these messages?This proposal approaches the question of students' experience in London from three perspectives: it critically engages with how and why universities and other bodies utilise specific terminology or concepts to represent London; it explores the impact this has on students, and it will produce recommendations which assist institutions and related stakeholders to support and enrich students' experiences. The following are indicative research questions:1. In what ways is London represented as a cultural, creative or knowledge destination by universities and other actors engaged in the higher education sector?2. How and to what extent do these portrayals of London as a centre of creativity and knowledge influence students' perceptions and expectations of London universities? 3. How can universities and associated stakeholders support and enrich students' experience of London?