The UCSD Civic Collaborative, established in 1998, is a program that encourages a two-way flow of knowledge between members of UCSD and the San Diego region, with a particular focus on civic and community life. Supported by a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Collaborative sponsors forums, conferences, and informal gatherings to help UCSD researchers become more knowledgeable about San Diego and more likely to direct their best thinking toward understanding and improving the quality of life in San Diego. Fostering closer ties with people from a variety of backgrounds and institutions in the region should enhance UCSD s own skills and resources. The premise of the Collaborative is that both academic and civic knowledge can be improved if they are better integrated.
Academic knowledge consists of the scholarly and scientific research of university faculty.
This kind of knowledge is not always codified or articulated as formally as academic knowledge. University faculty who become more mindful of the life of their own community will become more enterprising and informed scholars. This is especially true for faculty and graduate students in the social sciences, but it applies to those in the arts, humanities, medicine, and natural sciences as well. A growing number of administrators, faculty, staff, and students at UCSD share in the national concern that research universities renew and enlarge their commitment to improving public life both within and beyond their own walls. In this effort, the UCSD Civic Collaborative seeks to become a valuable resource for both UCSD and San Diego.