Abstract

This keynote presentation explores the nature of the engaged university with reference to John Dewey's work on institutional democracy. The current interest in the concept of student engagement and public engagement do not prioritise the practice of institutional democracy. Democracy, following Dewey, is presented as a key aspect of scientific practice, which must be promoted in order for science to support the co-operative commonwealth. Research currently being carried out to create a co-operative university is used to illustrate in a very concrete way the political and pedagogical arguments that form the basis of the paper.