Questioning ‘the public’: exploring the meanings of public engagement in higher education

This article discusses an example of public engagement involving university staff and students, a local charity older residents in community oral history project. It is based on participants’ written accounts their involvement. critically examines the meanings public, good created through project relation to neoliberalism. publics as ‘emergent’ various activities ‘assemblages’, formed particular historical ideological discursive contexts, reflects usefulness these conceptualisations. also reviews operation potential counterpublic its implications.