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The purpose of the study developed in this book is to examine research on the link between universities and the economy in the UK. The study identifies the investigation of the link as a vast area of research that has been the subject of investigation by academics and the Government in the UK, as well as of comparative research. It has also been influenced by, and included in, research carried out abroad. It is argued that while evidence is available on universities positive contribution to the economy, particularly in terms of skills and human capital development, this is not applicable across the whole range of relevant research and needs to be qualified in terms of a number of issues, not least the context in which different universities operate. This study finds that research in this field is subject to a number of influences, including political ones. The field examined is a complex one, both in terms of expressing the economic effect of universities in quantifiable results and in terms of conceptual problems which question the extent to which universities as such are responsible for visible positive effects on the economy.

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Angele Attard was born in Malta in 1981. She holds a Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Malta and a Master´s Degree in Educational Studies from the University of Oxford. She undertook extensive policy and research work in international organisations working on education and currently works at the Ministry of Education in Malta.

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