Skip navigation

Northumbria to lead EU-funded €4.5m COGOV project

11th June 2018

An international consortium led by Northumbria University has been awarded €4.5m funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme to study how Europe is governed.

The three-and-a-half year project will see Northumbria working with nine partners including universities, municipalities and private companies from six European states; the UK, France, Holland, Denmark, Croatia and Slovenia. The funding will be used to explore new approaches to involving the public in the governance of public services across Europe, including the use of digital technologies.

Northumbria’s Professor Keith Shaw, from the Department of Social Sciences, is the project coordinator for COGOV, which stands for Co-Production and Co-Governance.

“The award not only confirms Northumbria’s commitment to European-wide research and team-working but illustrates how, in the present context, Northumbria is excellently-placed to continue leading successful European bids,” he said.

The research project, titled ‘Understanding the transformation of European public administrations’, draws on the expertise of several Northumbria staff and will also include two new appointments in project administration and research. A key strand of the study will examine innovation and creativity in Europe’s cultural and heritage sector, including publicly funded museums and art galleries. In particular, it will investigate how these organisations have responded to contemporary change to not only survive and, in many cases, thrive, despite the challenging climate.

Professor Shaw, an expert in urban governance and community engagement added: “The project emphasises that taking a strategic approach – in the most fundamental sense - to the renewal of organisation and management of European public administrations is a key requirement for improving citizen’s participation in public governance across Europe.

“The project aims to locate, explore and diffuse leading edge experiments in new and more participatory approaches to public administration, which are becoming evident across various countries in Europe, including the cultural sector which is a key part of the knowledge-based economy and society that is now developing. The project relies on a strong pan-European collaboration of academic and policy partners and is strongly connected to, and informed by, practice.” 

A particular focus of this new research will be detailed questionnaires and face-to-face interviews to examine how the sector has been able to employ new approaches to public management and public engagement to be resilient in the face of austerity and related changes in government strategies.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 770591.

Professor David Gleason, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation) in Arts, Design and Social Sciences, said: “This grant success highlights the University’s continued commitment to partnerships with universities across Europe to help solve European challenges through high-quality research.”

Northumbria offers a range of courses in Social Sciences, including Criminology, Sociology, International Relations International Development, Media, Journalism and Mass Communications. To find out about studying at Northumbria come along to one of our upcoming summer Open Days by clicking here.

comments powered by Disqus
a sign in front of a crowd
+

Northumbria Open Days

Open Days are a great way for you to get a feel of the University, the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the course(s) you are interested in.

Research at Northumbria
+

Research at Northumbria

Research is the life blood of a University and at Northumbria University we pride ourselves on research that makes a difference; research that has application and affects people's lives.

NU World
+

Explore NU World

Find out what life here is all about. From studying to socialising, term time to downtime, we’ve got it covered.


Latest News and Features

academic Jennifer Aston pictured in a law library holding an open book
Launch of The Regeneration Shop in Chopwell. Sarah Cotton, Senior Programmes Manager at Chopwell Regeneration Group; Jennine Wilson, Lecturer in Fashion and Senior Technician at Northumbria University; Hal Convery, Shop Manager at The Regeneration Shop; Crystal Hicks, Executive Director of Chopwell Regeneration Group; Gayle Cantrell, Assistant Professor BA Fashion Communication at Northumbria University; Sophie Wetherell, Assistant Professor BA Fashion / MA Fashion Design at Northumbria University; Emma Jane Goldsmith Assistant Professor BA Fashion / MA Fashion Design at Northumbria University; Professor Anne Peirson-Smith, Head of Fashion at Northumbria University.
Mooting
A new toolkit has been developed to support rural communities with the development of renewable energy projects. Photo: Adobe Stock
From left to right: Natalie Winchester, Subject Lead Health and Social Care and Post-16 Raising Standard Leader at Bede Academy, Dr Julie Derbyshire – Director of Apprenticeships and Assistant Professor in Nursing at Northumbria University, Andrew Thelwell – Principal at Bede Academy, Professor Alison Machin, Head of Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at Northumbria University and pupils from Bede Academy.
British Military Uniform
the planet Saturn
an image depicting cyber security

Back to top