In a changing world, what is the social purpose of higher education? Combining a critique of contemporary universities, a manifesto for the future and a provocation to stimulate change, The Kern Power University examines how higher education can flourish in the 21st century. Using the framing of 'new power', Jonathan Grant illustrates how a different purpose for universities is necessary, through the application of a new set of values that puts social responsibility at the core of the academic mission, allowing the university to become an advocate of the policies and political issues that matter to its communities. The New Power University offers both a warning against the complacency of old power and a voice for many who see the opportunity and necessity for radical change in higher education.