As a member of the Talloires Network and Talloires’ regional partner, Engagement Australia, the University of Newcastle continues to demonstrate its commitment to civic engagement with its local, national and global communities.

The Talloires Network is an international association of institutions committed to “strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education.”

The network emerged out of the 2005 Talloires Conference convened by Tufts University, in which 29 universities from 23 countries signed the Talloires Declaration on the Civic Roles and Social Responsibilities of Higher Education. This included the statement that: “higher education must extend itself for the good of society to embrace communities near and far. In doing so, we will promote our core missions of teaching, research and service.”

Since then, the network has grown to 247 members spanning 62 countries across the globe. The Talloires Network provides not only partnership with other institutions, but also resources for improving community engagement as well as a platform for institutions to share knowledge about successful engagement programs.

In 2011, participants at the network’s Global Leaders Conference in Madrid resolved that: “The world is a very different place than it was when the Talloires Declaration was signed. Across the globe, the societies in which our institutions are situated are facing increased economic, social, and civic challenges. At the same time, in universities on every continent, something extraordinary is underway. Mobilizing their human and intellectual resources, institutions of higher education are increasingly providing opportunity and directly tackling community problems— combating poverty, improving public health, promoting environmental sustainability, and enhancing the quality of life.”