Goleufa Gymreig newydd yn tynnu prifysgolion a’r cyhoedd yn agosach at ei gilydd

10 Tachwedd 2007

Mae Prifysgol Caerdydd, Prifysgol Morgannwg, Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru, Techniquest a BBC Cymru wedi dod ynghyd i ffurfio unig Oleufa dros Ymrwymiad Cyhoeddus i Gymru.

Gan ymgeisio’n llwyddiannus yn erbyn 87 ymgeisydd arall o bob cwr o’r DU, bydd Goleufa Cymru bellach yn arwain prifysgolion Cymru wrth wneud cyfraniadau ehangach i’r gymdeithas drwy ymwneud â chymunedau’n helaethach yn eu gwaith.

Mae’n rhan o’r fenter fwyaf o’i bath a lansiwyd yn y DU erioed, a sefydlir cyfanswm o chwe goleufa, gan gynnwys rhai eraill a arweinir gan sefydliadau’n seiliedig ym Manceinion, Newcastle, Norwich, Llundain a Chaeredin a chanolfan gydlynu ledled y DU ym Mryste.

Bydd Goleufa Cymru’n rhannu mewn cyllid Goleufeydd dros Ymrwymiad Cyhoeddus o £9.2M oddi wrth Gyngor Cyllido Addysg Uwch Lloegr y DU, Cyngor Cyllido Addysg Uwch Cymru, a Chynghorau Ymchwil y DU mewn cydweithrediad ag Ymddiriedolaeth Wellcome.

Bydd y cynllun cyllido pedair blynedd yn ceisio cyflawni ymagwedd fwy cydlynol a gwreiddiedig tuag at ymrwymiad cyhoeddus ac ymateb i ganfyddiadau o arolwg a nododd y rhwystrau rhag cymryd rhan mewn ymrwymiad cyhoeddus gan sefydliadau addysg uwch fel pwysau i gyhoeddi ymchwil.

Bydd y Brifysgol, ynghyd â’i phartneriaid, yn gweithredu fel catalydd ar gyfer sefydliadau addysg uwch eraill yng Nghymru a bydd Goleufa Cymru’n agor cyfleoedd i bobl y tu allan i gymunedau academaidd i ddeall, cefnogi a herio ymchwil a gynhelir mewn prifysgolion yn well.

Dywedodd yr Athro Ken Woodhouse, Dirprwy Is-Ganghellor, Engagement, ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd, y prif bartner yng Ngholeufa Cymru: “Bydd y fenter hon yn sicrhau fod gan y cyhoedd well dealltwriaeth o waith sefydliadau addysg uwch, yn ogystal â sicrhau bod ein prifysgolion yn deall sut mae’r cyhoedd yn teimlo am faterion sy’n amrywio o wyddoniaeth, busnes a’r celfyddydau, i iaith, yr amgylchedd, hanes ac iechyd.

“Rydym yn gynhyrfus iawn wrth edrych ymlaen at weithio gyda’n partneriaid i ledaenu uchelgais ac arfer gorau a fydd yn ysbrydoli staff academaidd ac ymchwil ar draws Cymru gyfan. Rydym yn awyddus i weld gweithgareddau ymrwymiad cyhoeddus fel trafodaethau, dialogau neu arddangosfeydd, ymddangosiadau gyda’r cyfryngau neu waith allestyn yn dod yn gymaint o flaenoriaeth i staff y brifysgol â’r swyddogaethau mwy traddodiadol. Dyna pam mai un o’n tasgau cyntaf yw gosod y strwythur cywir ar waith i gefnogi academia wrth gynllunio a chyflwyno gweithgareddau blaengar a boddhaus fydd yn rhedeg ochr yn ochr ag ymchwil a dysgu.”

Bydd Goleufa Cymru yn cymryd camau ymarferol i annog a gwobrwyo gweithgareddau ymrwymiad blaengar, cynhyrfus sy’n ymestyn at bob grŵp drwy Gymru gyfan. Bydd yn llywio pedair rhaglen ymrwymiad cyhoeddus newydd a datblygu canllawiau arfer gorau ar sut i gyrraedd cynulleidfaoedd gyda gweithgareddau sy’n annog trafodaeth gymdeithasol, foesegol a gwyddonol. Bydd y pedwar prosiect peilot yn archwilio pynciau mor amrywiol ag: ein lle ni yn y dyfodol; iechyd a lles; hinsawdd a chynaladwyedd a’r hunaniaeth Gymreig yn yr 21ain ganrif.

 

Sylwadau ein partneriaid ar fod yn rhan o Oleufa Cymru:

Ceri Black, Head of Learning Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales

“We are looking forward to working with Cardiff University, the University of Glamorgan, Techniquest and BBC Wales on this exciting initiative, which will build on and develop our skills in communicating with a wide variety of audiences and groups and firmly establish Wales as a leader in the field of public engagement.”

Cathryn Allen, Head of Broadcast Development, BBC Wales

"BBC Wales is always seeking new ways to enrich its engagement with its audience and the Beacon for Wales offers an exciting opportunity to work with partners in order to innovate within this area."

Peter Trevitt, Chief Executive, Techniquest

“Techniquest is delighted to be part of the Beacon for Wales and is looking forward to beginning work with the partnership. As an educational charity with a mission to engage people in science, the Beacon provides a welcome framework to strengthen dialogue between the public, scientists and the academic community, especially in important areas such a climate change and medical sciences."

Professor Philip Gummett, Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales

"Backing this initiative with other UK partners has given us a wonderful opportunity to support institutions in Wales to build on their existing excellent work to make what they do more understandable to the public in Wales, as well as get a real dialogue going. The diversity of the partners within the Beacon for Wales means they will be able to collectively work with and learn from communities all across our nation."

Professor Rod Dubrow-Marshall, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Glamorgan

“Our Beacon is about engaging with, listening to and learning from the communities with whom we live and work and we are ready to put our plans into action.  By combining the expertise, experience and geographical reach of these leading Welsh institutions, the Beacon for Wales will give public engagement a renewed sense of status, a renewed sense of purpose and a renewed energy, not only within our institutions but throughout Wales.”

About the Beacon for Wales

The Beacon for Wales will pioneer new techniques in public engagement across Wales, and then share that experience across the UK Beacon network.

The partners will establish a Wales Higher Education Engagement Network (WHEEN) to provide opportunities for HE staff and students to network and share ideas on public engagement; appoint a high-level champion for public engagement, working with senior staff and university management to negotiate any necessary changes in policies and employment practices; establish an awards system recognising engagement excellence in a variety of sectors; and pilot four projects to test approaches to new audiences and new techniques. 

About the Beacon for Public Engagement

The Beacons for Public Engagement initiative will recognise, reward and build capacity for increased communication between academics and researchers and the wider community not currently engaged with universities through research, teaching and knowledge-transfer.  It was created in response to a survey by the Royal Society, RCUK and the Wellcome Trust that identified barriers to participation in public engagement by higher education institutions, ranging from the pressure to publish research papers and attract funding, to parity of esteem between research and engagement activities.

The six Beacons are collaborative centres made up of a number of higher education institutions (HEIs) and partnership organisations. They will be at the forefront of efforts to change the culture in universities, assisting staff and students to engage with the public.  They involve networks of partners including further education colleges, museums, galleries, business, charities, TV and press, and public bodies.

The National Co-ordinating Centre is made up of the University of Bristol, University of the West of England and other partners.  The other five Beacons are: University of Newcastle / Durham University / Centre for Life; University of Manchester / Manchester Metropolitan/University of Salford and other partners; University of Edinburgh / Heriot-Watt University / Napier University / University of Highlands and Islands and other partners; University College London / Southbank Centre / British Museum and other partners; University of East Anglia and other partners.

Photograph - (Left to right) Mike Tooby, Director of Learning and Programmes, Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales; (back) Karen Lewis, Partnerships Manager, BBC Wales; (front) Dr Rachel Iredale, Senior Research Associate, University of Glamorgan; Prof Ken Woodhouse, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Engagement, Cardiff University; Peter Trevitt, Chief Executive, Techniquest.