A De Montfort University, Leicester (DMU) academic is leading a new international research project exploring how universities can play a stronger role in supporting their local communities.

Focusing on the integrated, close collaboration between universities and their local communities in Cuba, the three-year study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), will examine how local universities can help build long-term social and economic change.

The work will include a linked project will take place in Leicester. This will explore which aspects of the Cuban approach could be adapted to a UK context and contribute to the growing civic university agenda.

Dr Rosi Smith, from the Education Division within DMU’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences (HLS), is leading the project, called Universities in Communities (Cuba and the UK): Developing Capacity for Change.

Dr Smith, who will oversee the international partnerships and overall coordination, said: “This research offers an important opportunity to learn from a higher education system where universities are deeply embedded within their communities.

“By working closely with our Cuban partners, we hope to identify practical approaches that can inform policy and strengthen the civic role of universities in Leicester, the UK and internationally.”

The research will focus on four local areas in Cuba, working in partnership with national knowledge exchange network, GUCID  and the Universities of Guantánamo, Las Tunas, Holguín, Pinar del Río and Havana.

The network supports collaboration between universities and communities across the country and represents a distinctive model of civic engagement.

Unlike in the UK, Cuban universities are in every local area and work closely with local governments to support their communities. In addition to teaching and research, they help shape development strategies, support public services, and train professionals, making universities an integral part of day-to-day community life.

A key feature of the Cuban system is how closely universities align with local priorities. Students often base their dissertations on real issues identified by local authorities, so their research contributes directly to solving community challenges.

Dr Smith and her team, including partners from UCL’s Institute of the Americas and Caribbean knowledge-exchange body CRICKET CIC, will study projects in Cuba that aim to strengthen local capacity.

Using creative data collection in communities, the research will explore how universities, local authorities, and community organisations collaborate — and what makes those partnerships effective and sustainable.

Dr Andrew Reeves, DMU’s Academic Lead for Education for Sustainable Development, will lead the Leicester-based work, alongside local community partners, strengthening connections between students, university staff and the communities in which they live and study.

The project reinforces DMU’s commitment to research that delivers real-world impact and strengthens partnerships locally, nationally, and globally.

Posted on Wednesday 11 March 2026