‘WeWork for academics’ vision to reduce need for long commutes

A new project is seeking to create co-working spaces across the UK for academics who live far from their university campuses.

Eric Lybeck, presidential academic fellow at the University of Manchester’s Institute of Education, said that “for a lot of us who live in other cities than their university, it has been really nice not to have to commute that long distance” during Covid lockdowns.

“However, if we start working from home more often, which is increasingly likely as universities talk about flexible and hybrid working, it would still be nice to have somewhere to go to feel a bit more collegial and involved with other people,” said Dr Lybeck, who lives in Liverpool.

Dr Lybeck is one of three researchers who have co-founded The Academic College, which aims to connect scholars via co-working spaces and a web platform.

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According to postcode data released by the University of Manchester, 27 per cent of its academics live outside Greater Manchester. The nationwide figure could be much higher, according to Dr Lybeck and his colleagues.

It is not uncommon for academics to live in an entirely different region of the UK from where they are employed – or to hold several part-time posts in different parts of the country.

Dr Lybeck’s team have started discussions with Liverpool City Council about creating their first WeWork-style space for academics in one of the city’s derelict heritage buildings, and they are also applying for funding from the National Lottery and social enterprises. Alongside that, they have launched a crowdfunding campaign with the goal of raising £50,000 to fund the co-working space for a year.

This would be a “prototype” for shared offices in other cities, said Dr Lybeck, who has founded The Academic College with Zoe Bulaitis, a teaching fellow in the University of Birmingham’s English literature department, and architect Carl Fraser.

Dr Lybeck explained that moving around the country was a standard part of academia, but it can take its toll on researchers’ personal lives. Co-working spaces would reduce the need for academics to uproot themselves for new jobs and would particularly benefit early career scholars, he said.

“It would provide a level of flexibility that isn’t always there, especially if you don’t have a permanent contract…it would be a bit of an oasis.”

anna.mckie@timeshighereducation.com