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Professor.Dr Mike Seal

Public and Community Engagement

Summary

I am deeply committed to advancing the interface between higher education institutions and their surrounding communities.  My recent monograph, Higher Education, Community Connections and Collaborations (2025), offers an innovative exploration of the policy, practice, and pedagogy of community engagement within university settings. In the academic year 2024–2025, I secured funding for and convened three public-facing events designed to explore and strengthen university-community relationships. Additionally, I have submitted two research proposals aimed at further developing this area of scholarship and practice. From 2016 to 2020, I served as the Institutional Lead for Community and Public Engagement at Newman University. Concurrently, I held leadership roles within Birmingham Citizens, serving as Chair of the Leadership Group (2016–2019) and continuing as a member thereafter. I also contributed to the national agenda as a member of the Executive Committee of the Citizens UK Council. My contributions to community engagement have been recognised through several nominations, including the Times Higher Education Award for Community Participation (2016) and the Students’ Union Award for Most Significant Community Contribution (2017/18).I have acted as an external REF assessor for several institutions and was nominated by the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement and Impact for membership of REF 2021 Main Panel C and Sub-panel 20.  

Highlights include:

• Nominated for the Times Higher Education Award for Community Participation in 2016  
• Received the Students Unions most significant community contribution awards in 2017 and 2018.  
• Institutional lead on community and public engagement – Newman University (2016-2020)
• Chair of Birmingham Citizens Leadership group (2016-2019)
• Member of Birmingham Citizens Leadership group (2014-2016)
• Member of Citizens UK National Council, representing the West Midlands. (2016-2020)
• Member of executive committee of Citizens UK council (2016-202)

I was instrumental in Newman becoming a founder member of Citizens UK Birmingham, an independent and non-partisan civil society alliance of faith, education, trade union and community groups, acting together for the common good of the city. Students and support staff have been involved as participants, leaders and co–researchers.  Successes include 

• Winning ‘campaign of the year’ in 2014 and ‘action of the year’ in 2015. 
• Actively leading and achieving large turnouts on two major campaigns. 
• Leading on Newman becoming a living wage employer. 

• Sitting on the West Midlands refugee welcome board, sponsoring refugee students and families and successfully encouraging other universities to follow suit. 

Citizens UK Birmingham features in the Birmingham Post’s Power 250 list for the region and is credited by public agency leaders for being ‘ahead of the curve’ on working for the common good. The organisation states ‘This has been possible because of the commitment shown by founding members like Newman University.’ In their words: 

A number of our community leaders who run very successful third sector organisations in the city are alumni from Mike’s course. Newman students and former students are present on every single action team within Citizens. 

Tangible successes include establishing local shops & community buildings as safe havens near schools, securing the backing of elected and business leaders to pay the Living Wage and Birmingham committing to resettle 500 Syrian refugees from UN camps. Softer impacts have included the local community feeling that the University is serious in its commitment to them and students and staff feeling more confident, empowered and knowledgeable of the local community’s issues. I involved students in a research campaign in 2018, funded by the University, which gathered testimonial from Muslims and non-Muslims for a commission on Islam and Public Life chaired by Dominic Grieve QC MP and 20 others. I was asked to lead a student delegation looking at the role of the University. This had a real impact as the commission organiser commented 

‘I just wanted to send a note to say thank you for your testimony and contribution to the Citizens UK Commission on Islam, Participation and Public Life in Birmingham. The Commissioners are really grateful for your time and your insights. The discussion was incredibly rich and will be instrumental in shaping our final recommendations.