The University, Icts and Development in the Information Society

Introduction A distinctive feature of William Melody’s contribution has been his concern with the role of established institutions as agents promoting or inhibiting social, economic and technological change. He has been particularly concerned with the contribution of university-based critical research in shaping policy in relation to the information society, including issues of uneven economic and social development. This essay takes these concerns forward by focusing on the university as an institution and how it responds, primarily to the challenges posed by information and communication technology (ICT) in managing its internal affairs, and, secondarily, to external requirements for greater engagement with processes of regional economic and social development. We draw upon new empirical work which challenges the hyperbole surrounding the so-called virtual university that has no campus and a growing body of policy research, on the way in which universities engage with their local communities. In summary, we seek to show that, notwithstanding the space-transcending capabilities of ICTs, geography still matters for the university as an institution.