The Social and Cultural Capital of Island Communities: Exploring Mechanisms to Inform the UHI Islands 2020 Strategy

The UHI Islands Strategy sets out through several themes and objectives how the university will work with a range of partners to extend and strengthen its activities across the islands, delivering a range of outcomes for the island communities across the university academic partnership network. To deliver purposeful impact, there will need to be significant and ongoing engagement with key stakeholders and national initiatives including the National Islands Plan and Islands Growth Deal. The university has set up an Islands Forum, which includes island academic partners, island local authorities, Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and Bòrd na Gàidhlig. The forum meets twice a year and is provides a partnership approach to monitoring and implementing the strategy with key strategic discussions and critical feedback.

This research project has been configured to identify how a selected number of specific strategic themes and objectives of the strategy have the potential to support societal and economic development priorities for the islands of Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides. A particular aspect of the research will focus on how well the UHI Islands 2020 Strategy aligns with the respective developmental priorities of businesses, civic society groups and public sector organisations resident in Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides.