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Recent years have seen an increasing institutionalisation of the regional mission of universities, coinciding with mergers of institutions from different regions to form large multi-campus universities that span across them. This study examines how such a merger has shaped the regional mission of a polycentric higher education institution in Western Norway. We find that even when the regional mission is at the core of a merged HEI’s identity, translating it into practice can be challenging because the regional mission can be understood and implemented in very different ways within the merged institution. These differences can emerge from the geographical stretch of merged multi-campus HEIs, exposing such institutions to several regional eco-systems with varying needs; from the identity stretch of old institutional structures, where pre-merger HEIs may have taken different roles in their respective regions; and from differences in modes of regional collaboration across faculties. Whilst managing the tensions that arise from these differences, merged multi-campus HEIs must also create synergies within the institution to serve regional needs better, on which the legitimacy of such mergers may critically depend. This in turn leads to a tricky balancing act between local adaptation and the harnessing of synergies within multi-campus HEIs. We conclude that managing these tensions effectively is key to successfully solving the regional mission for such institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the contribution of universities to regional development and innovation in locked-in and vulnerable resource-based regions of the Global South. Building on a regional change agency approach, we identify the combination of key factors and context preconditions for universities to successfully fulfil their local engagement role in a particularly challenging environment. To do so, we use a comparative case study of two mining regions in Peru. Our results reveal that the prevalence of a climate of conflict and the lack of an innovation culture in the regional ecosystem are important challenges, while strategic leadership and institutional capacities are central elements for universities to fulfil their role as transformative agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, there has been a growing awareness of the importance and desirability of fostering the involvement of more actors, and in particular local communities, in the protection of cultural heritage. Since universities have long been asked to become promoters of actions aimed at increasing society's general level of well-being through interventions with cultural, social, and educational implications via technology transfer and knowledge sharing, a mutual collaboration between different researchers of the Politecnico di Torino, public administrations, and local communities has been consolidated over the last few years to provide a proactive contribution to both the preservation of cultural heritage and the social and economic development of the territories. A new educational methodology with direct and mutual collaboration between teachers and students, local communities, and policymakers was tested. The experiences conducted so far testify to the university's ability to fulfil its training, research, and "Third Mission" tasks, both by responding to the needs of the territory and by transmitting up-to-date work methodologies, disciplinary skills, attention to context, and dialogue with local communities. The work carried out, appreciated by citizens and municipal administration representatives, was able to provide hints and stimuli for new opportunities and actions to be undertaken, foreshadowing possible development trajectories of the contexts investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study examines the comprehensive strategies employed by Universidad de La Sabana to align its Third Mission with its Catholic identity after a media and public opinion crisis in 2015. The crisis, triggered by controversial remarks from a university professor during a national debate on same-sex adoption, underscored the necessity for the university to assert its institutional values while navigating the complexities of public scrutiny. In response, the university undertook organizational realignments, including the establishment of new strategic committees, the development of communication training programs, and the enhancement of its Legal Clinic's role. These initiatives were designed not only to mitigate reputational risks but also to reinforce the university's capacity to engage successfully in public discourse. Additionally, the university launched other impactful public initiatives, which further strengthened its legitimacy and influence on broader societal issues. The findings of this study provide a detailed account of these strategies and their outcomes, offering insights for other institutions facing similar challenges. This study contributes to the literature on crisis management in higher education and highlights the critical importance of aligning institutional identity with public engagement, particularly in a polarized societal context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the present state of the global environment, it is imperative for academic institutions to prioritise the promotion of sustainability. The potential challenges faced by rapidly developing economies such as India can be addressed through the implementation of innovative and science-driven approaches such as the creation of green technologies. The present investigation aimed to analyse the prevailing patterns of environmentally sustainable technologies. To evaluate the efficiency of the leading 50 higher educational institutions according to NIRF 2022, this study employed data envelopment analysis. The results indicate that 16 universities have made noteworthy advancements in the creation of technologies that foster environmental sustainability. Furthermore, leading academic institutions collectively filed 1217 patents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to investigate the commitment of universities in terms of inclusion and social justice in the light of the opportunities offered by university public engagement in order to identify the main areas of intervention with which universities give visibility to their ability to be socially sustainable. A qualitative-quantitative methodology was adopted. First, an empirical analysis of the official websites of 100 European universities was conducted through content analysis. An exploratory factor analysis and, subsequently, a correspondence analysis were used to identify the main public engagement practices adopted by universities in terms of inclusion and social justice. The results show four macro-areas of intervention: (1) Access, (2) Cultural awareness of diversity and social justice (3) Initiatives in defense of diversity, (4) Protection of diversity and the principles of social justice. The results also show that the issue of inclusion and social justice still lacks the involvement of all stakeholders, especially for those initiatives aimed at creating a cultural awareness of diversity and inclusion and intended for their protection. The paper provides a valuable basis for verifying the ability of universities to integrate the issues of inclusion and social justice in university Third Mission programs. The results also allow university management to better understand and regulate public engagement practices in order to ensure broad stakeholder participation in the light of social sustainability objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, there has been a growing awareness of the importance and desirability of fostering the involvement of more actors, and in particular local communities, in the protection of cultural heritage. Since universities have long been asked to become promoters of actions aimed at increasing society’s general level of well-being through interventions with cultural, social, and educational implications via technology transfer and knowledge sharing, a mutual collaboration between different researchers of the Politecnico di Torino, public administrations, and local communities has been consolidated over the last few years to provide a proactive contribution to both the preservation of cultural heritage and the social and economic development of the territories. A new educational methodology with direct and mutual collaboration between teachers and students, local communities, and policymakers was tested. The experiences conducted so far testify to the university’s ability to fulfil its training, research, and “Third Mission” tasks, both by responding to the needs of the territory and by transmitting up-to-date work methodologies, disciplinary skills, attention to context, and dialogue with local communities. The work carried out, appreciated by citizens and municipal administration representatives, was able to provide hints and stimuli for new opportunities and actions to be undertaken, foreshadowing possible development trajectories of the contexts investigated.

Background: Service-learning is a widely adopted approach in higher education institutions globally, integrating civic engagement experiences into academic curricula while being responsive to the development of local communities. Purpose: This study aimed to assess the impact on students in participating in voluntary semester-long service-learning labs and courses in comparison to traditional labs and courses. Methodology/Approach: A quantitative online survey was administered to 110 students at the beginning and end of the lectures, investigating four psychosocial variables of citizenship: social justice attitude, cognitive empowerment, sense of community responsibility, and civic engagement. The post-survey also collected data on the participants' quality of participation experiences. Findings/Conclusions: Analyses performed on data revealed no statistically significant group differences over time in all examined variables, except for the quality of participation experiences, where service-learning students scored significantly higher than other students. Factors potentially influencing these results include the students' perception of their competence, the duration of the service-learning program, and relying on self-reported measures. Implications: This study contributes to the advancement of experiential learning knowledge emphasizing the significance of methodological rigor, underpinning a narrative that leverages failure to foster understanding. Future research could further explore the role of quality of participation experiences in service-learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mayer (this issue) discusses several problems related to the financing crisis that characterizes science and tertiary education for already about half a century. First of all she focusses on the question how the ways of financing inhibit careers of young scientists. In this paper I take a look at the financing problems from a wider background. The financing crisis emerged because of the substantial increase of the expectations imposed on universities without increasing proportionally the financing: massification and the so called Third Mission. Instead of helping universities to cope with the new tasks without reducing any of the traditional tasks of them, universities are left alone with more tasks and less money. Universities are also pushed to replace meaningful and constructive activities with bureaucratic formal activities which contribution to the society is increasingly questionable. Massification and the Third Mission in the current form have increasingly devastating effect on the research and tertiary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study examines the comprehensive strategies employed by Universidad de La Sabana to align its Third Mission with its Catholic identity after a media and public opinion crisis in 2015. The crisis, triggered by controversial remarks from a university professor during a national debate on same-sex adoption, underscored the necessity for the university to assert its institutional values while navigating the complexities of public scrutiny. In response, the university undertook organizational realignments, including the establishment of new strategic committees, the development of communication training programs, and the enhancement of its Legal Clinic’s role. These initiatives were designed not only to mitigate reputational risks but also to reinforce the university’s capacity to engage successfully in public discourse. Additionally, the university launched other impactful public initiatives, which further strengthened its legitimacy and influence on broader societal issues. The findings of this study provide a detailed account of these strategies and their outcomes, offering insights for other institutions facing similar challenges. This study contributes to the literature on crisis management in higher education and highlights the critical importance of aligning institutional identity with public engagement, particularly in a polarized societal context.

This report provides insights into ways that paleolimnology is becoming, and can continue to be more diverse, equitable and inclusive. Ideas presented here came during the organization, and in part, out of a special session held during the Joint Meeting of the International Association of Limnogeology (IAL) and the International Paleolimnology Association (IPA), conducted virtually (27–29 April 2022) and in-person, in Bariloche, Argentina (27 November to 1 December 2022). It was the first time in 55 years that the combined IAL-IPA meeting (held separately prior to 2018) hosted a special session to address issues beyond the value of scientific information in lake sediments. That session, "Beyond just research data: the value of outreach, education, equality, and inclusion around lakes," included topics such as Third Mission activities, i.e., the economic and social missions of universities and how they contribute to the broader community. It also addressed challenges to diversifying our Earth Science community, which is still characterized by underrepresentation of women, especially at the highest academic levels, suffers from the "parenthood effect," which affects both women and men, and often fails to adequately support dual-career couples, especially in Europe. Efforts to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) included: (1) a virtual IAL-IPA meeting for Early Career Researchers (ECRs), conducted months before the in-person conference in Argentina, (2) a special session on DEI challenges and values, (3) financial support for ECRs and attendees from low-income countries, (4) equitable ECR awards, (5) consideration of gender equity during plenary and oral presentations, (6) remote presentations, including both live and pre-recorded talks, (7) utilization of multiple communication platforms to disseminate information to conference participants, and organization of science-communication activities, and (8) pre- and post-conference courses and workshops. These efforts were supported by the local organizing committee and by the establishment of the first DEI Working Group. ECRs dominated the in-person Joint Meeting (200 of 300 attendees), which we view as an opportunity to promote changes in our discipline. We encourage members of our community to work collaboratively to shape diverse research groups and identify leaders who will promote more equitable and inclusive workplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Third Mission engagement has become a necessary vehicle to transfer science and knowledge from higher education institutions (HEIs) to society. An extensive body of research has mainly focused on the determinants of research commercialization, and the consequence of knowledge exchange activities largely carried out on an individual academic level. There is a lack of theoretical and empirical evidence on the link and interaction between formal (traditionally referred to as commercialization of university research, such as patent, licensing and spin-off) and informal knowledge exchange activities (usually denoted as university community engagement activities, such as collaborative research, consultancy, facilities and equipment, continuing professional development etc.). In this article we seek to fill this gap by viewing knowledge exchange activities as an enabler and supporter of commercial activities. Against this background, we intend to provide an analysis into the relationship between informal activities and formal activities using an unbalanced panel of UK universities for the period 2005–2020. Our results reveal that while provision of continuing professional development courses, facilities and equipment, and consultancy significantly impact commercial activities such as patenting and licensing, collaborative research appears to be a strong predictor for spin-offs generation. This study offers some general implications for HEIs' policy and Technology Transfer Offices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University Mission Statements (UMS) were born by imitating a common practice in the business world, where private organisations state their core values and main purposes. Recently, there has been growing interest in analysing UMS through the lens of the Third Mission (TM) of universities. Despite the increasing attention to UMS analysis of TM at the national level, there remains a dearth of research that conducts international comparisons of UMS across various countries utilizing a TM perspective. In this study, we adopt a text mining approach commonly employed in Natural Language Processing studies to categorize 1304 UMS from 19 Latin American countries based on generalized social and economic orientations of TM. By eschewing classifications reliant on specific TM aspects and activities, our analysis aims to facilitate meaningful regional and cross-country comparisons. On average, the orientation of UMS from Latin American countries is 82% social and 55% economic, significant variations observed across countries reflecting the particularities of each Higher Education System. Our results are comparable to previous research analysing single-country UMS, utilizing interpretive content analysis and a Third Mission lens. This evidence offers a quantitative perspective that aligns with existing regional narratives, enriching our understanding of the Third Mission across Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fulfil its third mission and equip students with the appropriate competencies to address complex societal issues, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) offers undergraduates the chance to learn about issues that transcend the confines of their own discipline through the cross-disciplinary Broader Mind Course (BMC). This study investigates to what extent this 40-hour course may elicit transformative learning (TL) that can significantly trigger changes in students' awareness, perspectives, and behaviour. We gathered and analysed qualitative data (n = 41) to determine: 1) whether indications of emergent TL outcomes as proposed by Hoggan were visible in students' accounts and 2) what structural and interpersonal elements either facilitated or impeded this learning process. Our findings show that activating, creative exercises, productive conflict in group discussions, psychological security, and sufficient time – which is particularly challenging for HEIs – are crucial elements for TL. Therefore, when designing for TL, higher education institutes (HEIs) should carefully consider these four aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, policymakers and academics have shown interest in understanding how universities could drive regional innovation. Universities are not solely focusing on research and education as their primary missions but are also asked to participate in the development of their regions. This has compelled universities to forge what is called a third mission, encompassing all social and economic activities of universities. Several attempts have been made to evaluate this concept, aiming to highlight the evolving role of universities and their relevance to policy and society. In this vein, this paper showcases existing attempts that aim to measure the impact of the third mission in European universities. This study consists of a systematic literature review studying journal articles published between 2001 and 2021. The purpose of this paper is to enumerate the existing measurements of the third mission and identify the different tensions related to it. This study shows that the literature encompasses three approaches for assessing the third mission. First, some studies incorporated the third mission into the overall evaluation of university performance. Second, other investigations aimed to capture this concept as a whole. Finally, several studies evaluated individual dimensions of the third mission independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge transfer, as a "third mission" and an activity connected to research, is essential for the university social function. This paper analyses the transfer activities carried out by Spanish and international research projects with a focus on disinformation in the Iberian Peninsula. We located 46 projects with these requirements, contacted those responsible and obtained the response of 25 through an online questionnaire that includes characteristics, timing, typology, contributors and audience of the activities completed, in progress or programmed (46 in total) as well as the perception of researchers on the transfer. The results show that the vast majority of disinformation projects (84%) carry out transfer activities, although many are limited to one or two, not always formalised via OTRI or similar. The projects themselves act as leaders or promoters in almost three out of four activities, although it is common to have at least one partner (58.6%). Their typology and target groups vary according to the objectives and area of the projects. It is noteworthy training for different groups, together with training, support and guidance resources, often multimedia and online. To a lesser extent, there are technological development activities, materialised in open digital applications and tools. The crossing of these two variables (typology and recipients) shows that social transfer is the largest group (43.48%), followed by professional (23.91%), technological (17.39%) and academic (15.22%). Despite being isolated and incipient practices, there is agreement among researchers in perceiving them as an essential part of their mission. Their vision in many cases is close to the "quadruple helix" model, which is oriented towards social innovation and responding to citizen demands on misinformation through collaborative approaches between university, government, companies and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurship education (EE) is about developing students' ability to create economic, social, or cultural value. For sustainable development and achieving the SDGs, collaboration and new alliances will be of key importance. Collaboration can drive and enable innovative practices that bring benefits to the environment, society and organizations. A fully circular economy (CE), aiming to keep resources in economic cycles as long as possible, is required according to the European Green deal. In this paper the connection between sustainability, collaboration, and mentoring in entrepreneurship education has been strengthened. Two theoretical positions have been selected: (1) Entrepreneurship, sustainability and collaboration; and (2) Entrepreneurship education anchored in experiential learning and collaborative orientation in universities' Third Mission. EE and entrepreneurial pedagogy lay out student centered principles for experiential learning, aiming to develop students' creativity, opportunity orientation and innovation skills. Mentoring is an experiential learning concept, regarded as fruitful in higher education and widely used in the business industry. Student teams are often challenged with real-world problems. We explore a collaborative project initiating and structuring industry mentors. The educational setting is two courses at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) with partially common educational activities. The course challenges come from organizations in the region and are rooted in sustainability and CE. During 2019 industry mentors were assessed in a pilot-project and implemented after proving the viability of the idea. Initiating industry mentors shows positive outcome, and the three main findings are: (1) Industry mentors seems to cover an important function and role the professors do not cover; (2) Engaging industry mentors confirms the perceived need for structure and a collaboration network; and (3) Applying industry mentor service can lead to more outward and practice-oriented professors and university. Sustainability orientation and external collaboration by industry mentors' entails promising possibilities for experiential learning, knowledge development, networking, value creation, and educational re-directing in line with the Third Mission of Higher Education (HEI). A deeper understanding of entrepreneurial mentoring and the role of industry mentors is achieved. There is a need for further empirical examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the historical higher education (HE) context of early post-independence Africa, little was done to unpack or critique the dominant notion of African universities as "developmental" and to create workable models for the future. The resultant conflictual role of African universities, caught between the demands of academic excellence, on the one hand, and local demands of development and regional and communal impact, on the other, have not yet been adequately resolved. Conceptually and organisationally, "engagement", "transfer" and "outreach" activities serve as mechanisms to bridge the divide between the traditional academy and the needs and expectations of societal stakeholders located outside of formal HE structures. This is now often referred to as the third mission (TM) of HE, the first and second missions being teaching and research. In recent years, many of the existing DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) African Centres of Excellence (ACE) have established partnerships and networks with actors from the political, social and economic sector to increase their relevance and impact in their regions, especially relating to Sustainable Development Goals. Against this backdrop, a qualitative exploratory study was conducted to determine the experiences and perceptions of participating representatives from ten ACE, located in their different and specific regional and societal contexts, about their university-society community engagement (CE) or TM activities. This article reports on the findings of this study, which contributes to the larger aims of identifying long-term synergies and collaboration potential and the development of conceptual models that are scalable. The findings of this study can form an adaptable basis for future TM-CE projects and for possible future research projects about such activities in HE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at global, regional, national and local dimensions in a diverse setting of the interplay of governmental, university and civil society partners. Higher education (HE) is called to support the recent discussions on the importance of adult learning and education (ALE) within lifelong learning. Therefore, during the Adult Education Academy (AEA) on international and comparative studies which met in 2024 at University of Würzburg for the 11th year as a study opportunity for PhD and Master students as well as practitioners, the authors agreed to contribute this paper to examine thematic areas related to global policy recommendations that strengthen the relationship between HE and ALE in different forms. Findings should lead to a better understanding of ALE enabling the acquisition of skills for personal fulfilment and social enlightenment. Le istituzioni di Higher education promuovono l’apprendimento e l’educazione degli adulti: esempi, esperienze, aspettative. L’articolo esamina le dimensioni globale, regionale, nazionale e locale in un contesto diversificato di interazione tra partner governativi, universitari e della società civile. L’HE è chiamata a supportare il recente dibattito sull’importanza dell’apprendimento e dell’educazione degli adulti (EA). Pertanto, durante l’Adult Education Academy (AEA) sugli studi internazionali e comparativi, riunitasi nel 2024 all’Università di Wurzburg come opportunità di studio per dottorandi, studenti e professionisti, gli autori hanno concordato di contribuire alla stesura di questo articolo con la finalità di esaminare temi relativi alle raccomandazioni delle politiche globali che rafforzano il rapporto tra HE e AE. I risultati dovrebbero portare a un migliore riconoscimento dell’AE come mezzo per l’acquisizione di competenze utili alla realizzazione personale e alla crescita sociale.

Objectives University social responsibility still lacks legitimisation and is perceived as a burden that hinders academics from doing research and teaching. Creating Shared Value by the University may serve as a tool to motivate universities to engage in initiatives for society, as this is beneficial for both parties. Yet, some researchers perceive the creation of economic value as inappropriate for academia. Thus, it was interesting to examine how the world's best universities elaborate on this matter. Material and methods A thematic analysis of textual data published online by universities in the top 30 in THE Impact Rankings 2022 has been conducted to determine if they create shared value and what benefits they create or expect. Results Signs of indirect Creating Shared Value by the University were observed in the dataset. Some universities create social and economic benefits from the same initiatives, mainly strategic. The observed benefits are both intangible and tangible, but most are related to increasing brand value: receiving recognition and awards, building reputation, strengthening competitive advantage, boosting brand attractiveness, and employer branding. Universities modestly mention that they gain tangible benefits, such as an expansion of research funds, and earned or passive income, which may point out that such values are not perceived as suitable in an academic context yet. Conclusions The results shed new light on the perception of creating economic value in academia, indicating that CSVU could be a legitimate tool to develop the theory and practice of USR. Still, results suggest that any CSVU framework should focus primarily on intangible benefits.

Community engagement is fundamental for tertiary education, as it allows universities to connect with external stakeholders, create social impact, and improve the development of strategies for public engagement. The current study aims to evaluate the level of community engagement in tertiary education, assess the level of sustainable practices, and identify areas for improvement. The research employed a survey method, using a standardized questionnaire to gather data from 44 respondents, representing 35 European universities from nine countries. The survey covered various aspects of community engagement, such as university commitment, documentation, public awareness, investments, incentives, training, and stakeholder engagement. Quantitative analysis was employed using ANOVA and AHP to analyze the data collected from 20 questions. The results revealed that universities have a clear commitment to public engagement and have well-documented policies in place. However, there were areas identified for improvement, such as increasing investments to encourage public engagement and offering more training activities to support it. Additionally, the universities were found to have a limited target group for their community engagement activities and insufficient communication of the results of impact assessments. The findings of this study will be used to improve the development of strategies and enhance public engagement in tertiary education through the Academic Third Mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Amanda Labarca (1886--1975) was an educator and leader of the Chilean feminist movement. In 1922 she became the first woman to hold a university professor position in Chile. This article recovers Labarca's trajectory as a scholar, particularly her contributions to community engagement in Chile and Latin America. Through historical research based on archival analysis (transcripts of meetings and conferences, speeches, interviews to media and oral history, and letters) and secondary sources (books and articles), it reviews her participation in community engagement projects from 1907 until her retirement in 1955, at Universidad de Chile. Then, three manifest and latent contributions to the concept of community engagement are identified. The distinction between the manifest and the latent allows us to highlight those less explicit elements in her work and more original ones. Her manifest contribution is to understand community engagement as nation--building, pedagogical and democratizing action. The latent contribution is to approach community engagement as an innovation and dispute, an object of study, and part of a global dialogue. The conclusions outline questions that challenge scholars who continue to carry out community engagement today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Sciences & Society is the property of FrancoAngeli srl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Education Sciences & Society is the property of FrancoAngeli srl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Recent studies show the inclusive potential of children's literature, not only in the themes proposed but also due to the access to the language it allows. In this way, children's literature contributes to that ideal of inclusion understood in a broad sense that characterizes the Italian context of special education. Through the analysis of exploratory cases conducted in different territorial contexts with which the University found itself collaborating, in this contribution we aim to reflect on the potential that children's literature can also have in the context of the third mission, above all encouraging the building of alliances and communities aimed at working together and reflecting on practices, including particular subjects and actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Sciences & Society is the property of FrancoAngeli srl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The development of inclusive cultures and practices in academia can be substantiated not only in references to the two traditional missions of universities, namely Teaching and Research but can find a generative way through a third mission, namely that of "Third Mission and Social Impact". Italian universities assume this programmatic horizon to make available and accessible the social value of scientific research that is also carried out in synergy with territories, institutions, and communities. This paper intends to conduct an action of conceptualization and legitimization of the "Third Mission" in universities and, at the same time, to highlight the transformative practices and emancipatory processes underlying the strategic actions of the universities. In particular, starting from the analysis of the Strategic Plans of 88 Italian universities, this contribution delves into the pedagogical dimensions that characterize the "Third Mission" and, therefore, seeks to highlight the role of Special Pedagogy for the enhancement of knowledge and the creation of new connections of social impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution focuses on the EU, national and institutional practices of HEIs' third mission regulation with a particular attention to the experiences of Ukrainian HEIs, which they developed in response to the challenges caused by the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine. It is argued that currently the regulatory frameworks for the third mission are more established at the intra-institutional level about ensuring the entrepreneurial aspects of the HEIs engagement, whereas the third mission social engagement models still remain on margins of the university life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University is a key player in regional development. The third mission of universities is defined as the activities of universities aimed at solving social and economic problems, including those related to realising sustainable development goals. The manuscript aim is to describe the impact of the Erasmus+ project activities on the University aims reset, especially in the crisis period The third mission of the Dragomanov Ukrainian State University could be considered as the Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education is gearing up to launch a social-oriented initiatives aimed at enlightening the general public about the intricacies of social interaction with individuals experiencing persistent or functional disorders of psychophysical development. These vulnerable groups include individuals with special educational needs, encompassing those with disabilities, internally displaced persons, participants in military operations, and their families, all of whom will benefit from comprehensive psychological assistance and ongoing support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines young people’s perspectives on local government bodies’ and universities’ roles in revitalizing de-occupied territories. A mixed-methods approach was deployed to examine their roles in returning and retaining young people in these areas. An initial quantitative survey was conducted among 1,180 young individuals from Berdyansk and its district (a temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine), focusing on the prospects of their return after de-occupation. A subsequent “Youth of Berdyansk” forum assembled roughly 300 participants, including university and local government representatives, to further explore youth perceptions. Findings revealed that 52.8% of respondents envision their future in the de-occupied region. Local government bodies and universities were seen as crucial for the region’s development and restoration by 92% and 86% of respondents, respectively. Moreover, 69% recognized the potential of partnerships between these institutions to enhance the territories’ appeal. Most respondents indicated readiness to participate in creating recovery strategies (41% absolute readiness, 38% with certain guarantees), though views on youth-centric strategies were mixed (80% agreement, 13% disagreement). The study concludes that local government bodies and universities are critical in the territories’ recovery and development, necessitating explicit engagement and focusing on young people’s needs for effective outcomes.

Abstract The fulfillment of the University’s Third Mission has led the university to become a key actor for social and economic development in its regions of influence through a much closer linkage with the different agents in its environment. Thus, the literature has highlighted both the benefits derived from the Third University Mission, the difficulties inherent in the process and the existence of various barriers that can hinder its consolidation in the academic environment. Within the framework of these studies, it has been possible to identify three types of barriers to adopting the third mission: process, researcher, and ally or partner. It is worth mentioning that most of the research developed to date has focused on the study of the impact of the barriers on the development of the Third Mission but not on the analysis of the factors that can influence or attenuate the perception of these barriers. This is surprising if one considers that identifying these factors is relevant in designing strategies to promote the University’s Third Mission. Therefore, this article aims to identify the factors that influence or attenuate the researcher’s perception of different types of barriers to developing Third Mission activities. The study was based on data from a survey applied to a sample of academics categorized in the National System of Science, Technology and Innovation of Colombia and linked to 6 higher education institutions in the Colombian Caribbean region. Binary logistic regression models were established to analyze the data obtained. The results obtained suggest that, in addition to the researcher's previous experience in the external sector, their perception of the existence of processes or support services provided by the university for the promotion of relationships with actors in the socioeconomic environment is important to mitigate the barriers perceived during the development of Third Mission activities, especially when these activities are located in the support for the management and execution of technology transfer activities. In particular, it was found that as the academic's perception of the policies and procedures, support activities, and the university's technology transfer capacity improves, the barriers of both the researcher and those associated with the process are dissipated. This implies that universities should advance in the institutionalization of the third mission and in strengthening the functions of promotion, advice and support, as well as promotion structures and thus be able to mitigate the perceived barriers to the development of the University’s Third Mission.

This paper critically reflects on the researcher’s effort to stimulate public engagement around the themes of inclusivity and sustainable tourism through arts-based approaches. This effort resulted in a music show on mobilities, tourism and cultural diversities performed at the IT.A.CÀ festival in Bologna[1]. Here, a songwriting-based celebration of values such as openness and inclusivity was coupled with an attempt to share with a wider audience what are the main challenges of researchers working on sustainable tourism development, thus promoting dialogue and exchange of ideas. Presenting the main obstacles and opportunities encountered, the paper performs a critical evaluation of the intervention with the aim to improve future music-based contribution to the festival I.TA.CÀ and other public engagement occasions. [1] A sample of the show can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNnwzONhsPE

The university's third mission is to answer the demands of the government, industry, and society so that universities become more independent as institutions but still beneficial for society simultaneously, especially in supporting national competitiveness. This study's purposes are to determine the factors determining the success of implementing the university's third mission to support sustainable regional socio-economic development and to test the relationship between the antecedents of the university's 3rd mission. This study confirmed that the university's 3rd mission performance could be significantly influenced by the practice of an entrepreneurial university simultaneously aligning with SDG-oriented higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conditions of the war of russia against Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022, Ukrainian universities are playing roles that were not characteristic of them in peacetime. To the greatest extent, this concerns the university’s third mission, serving society and responding to its urgent needs. The purpose of this study is to identify and characterize new meaningful directions for implementing the third mission of the university in the conditions of war and post-war reconstruction. The study uses quantitative and qualitative bibliometric analysis combining various methods, in particular, quantitative and dynamic analysis of publications and citations, keyword analysis, cluster analysis and content analysis of publications.The study’s results proved the lack of conceptual studies devoted to the role of universities in the war and post-war reconstruction. The main clusters of implementing the third mission of universities and the existing and potential areas of activity of Ukraine’s universities during the war and post-war reconstruction that belong to them were determined. In conclusion, it is substantiated that a new dimension of the mission of universities is being formed, which is at the stage of its formation and needs time for the necessary transformations. Depending on the consequences of the war in Ukraine, it can be a separate cluster of the third mission of universities, and the selection of a new fourth mission of universities, dedicated to peacebuilding and the role of the university during the war and post-war recovery. AcknowledgmentYuriy Petrushenko gratefully acknowledges support from the Kirkland Research Program. The researchwas supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (No. 0121U109553).

Universities aspire to lead on sustainable energy transitions, yet progress toward reducing their own emissions has been challenging. We assessed barriers and opportunities for engagement of University of California (UC) campus communities in stimulating more deliberate and rapid campus energy transformation, and our findings highlight the complexity of the socio-technical and governance systems that limit potential for transformative change for decarbonization. Through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and content analysis, we found strong interest among students, faculty, and staff in advancing decarbonization. We found a preference for local and on-campus solutions such as energy efficiency, behavioral change, renewable-energy production, and electrification, and much less support for market offsets and non-local investments. We also found that students and faculty had limited knowledge and sense of agency regarding campus-based decarbonization programs and options, which is consistent with the limited availability of data and information about these programs beyond the few who are directly involved. Weaving our findings with insights from social-innovation theory, we propose an action research agenda that conceives of university operations and governance systems as loci for socio-technical energy transition experiments. In alignment with higher education's long-standing commitments to catalyzing social innovation, opening university energy operations and governance to inclusive, community-led collaborative experimentation has strong potential to create the conditions necessary to produce the social innovation so desperately needed for energy system transformation within universities and beyond.

Background: Universities globally face challenges of becoming entrepreneurial, delivering third mission activities, including the support of academic entrepreneurship. Abundant research exists on academic entrepreneurs in the United Sates (USA) and Europe. Limited research exists on understanding pathways of academic entrepreneurship in South African Universities. Aim: The aim was to critically review the pathway of research commercialisation of academics at a research-intensive university. Setting: This single case study focuses on one research-intensive university; a pioneer in the field of academic entrepreneurship in South Africa. Methods: A qualitative research approach following a single-case study design was selected to investigate a phenomenon within its natural setting, using purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews. The data were thematically analysed. Results: The nature of research outputs takes a hybrid form, the awareness of the commercialisation of research is ineffectively communicated, supporting mechanisms Technology Transfer Office (TTO) are in place, factors hampering research commercialisation include time constraints and academics’ willingness to partner with the university. Conclusion: Context is bi-modal, meaning the institution is orientated towards basic research, Mode 1, while there is a transition of the research culture towards commercialisation of research, Mode 2, contributing to ineffective communication within the institution. Commercialisation extends the life cycle of research, and the recognition for publication in ranking metrics contributes to tension between commercialisation and publication of research. Contribution: Theoretically, this baseline study provided insights into the pathway of Academic Entrepreneurship in the context of an intensive-research university. Managerially, this article reflects that ineffective communication of transition from Mode 1 to Mode 2 leads to internal tension.

In early 2021, a quantitative survey was conducted among academics in Icelandic universities to gather information about their involvement in Third Mission (TM) activities and barriers to collaboration [1]. The target group consisted of all academics working at any of the seven Icelandic universities. The majority of participants (n = 674) were affiliated with the University of Iceland, while the remaining (n = 360) were associated with other universities. The survey was designed based on previous studies on barriers to university-industry collaboration [2]. Before it was administered, it underwent a pre-test phase involving various academics and university staff members. Email addresses of potential participants were obtained from the universities’ public websites. The survey was conducted using QuestionPro over a period of 21 days, with two reminders being sent following the initial invitation to participate. A total of 183 responses were collected, although not all participants completed the entire questionnaire. Consequently, the response rate amounted to 17.7%. It is worth noting that the study is a census, i.e., it targeted all academics in Iceland that satisfied the participation criteria rather than targeting only a sample of the population. Furthermore, the data extends its focus to academic disciplines that have previously received limited attention in third mission research.

University social responsibility (USR) is a fashionable concept that is often presented as a paradox, with the implication that it can help universities meet the social dimension of higher education, without questioning the hegemonic meanings of academic excellence and the university mission. We draw on data collected through a focus group of experts on USR to suggest that this concept has the potential to contribute to the transformation of higher education, particularly if its tensions and contradictions are addressed. Three tensions emerged from the data: real versus unreal change, institutional cooperation versus competition, and the right to privacy versus excessive transparency. We conclude that USR is neither a neutral nor a consensual concept; rather, it is eminently political, and HEIs and their leaders, teachers, staff, and students should confront, discuss, and take a stand on its tensions and contradictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fulfillment of the University's Third Mission has led the university to become a key actor for social and economic development in its regions of influence through a much closer linkage with the different agents in its environment. Thus, the literature has highlighted both the benefits derived from the Third University Mission, the difficulties inherent in the process and the existence of various barriers that can hinder its consolidation in the academic environment. Within the framework of these studies, it has been possible to identify three types of barriers to adopting the third mission: process, researcher, and ally or partner. It is worth mentioning that most of the research developed to date has focused on the study of the impact of the barriers on the development of the Third Mission but not on the analysis of the factors that can influence or attenuate the perception of these barriers. This is surprising if one considers that identifying these factors is relevant in designing strategies to promote the University's Third Mission. Therefore, this article aims to identify the factors that influence or attenuate the researcher's perception of different types of barriers to developing Third Mission activities. The study was based on data from a survey applied to a sample of academics categorized in the National System of Science, Technology and Innovation of Colombia and linked to 6 higher education institutions in the Colombian Caribbean region. Binary logistic regression models were established to analyze the data obtained. The results obtained suggest that, in addition to the researcher's previous experience in the external sector, their perception of the existence of processes or support services provided by the university for the promotion of relationships with actors in the socioeconomic environment is important to mitigate the barriers perceived during the development of Third Mission activities, especially when these activities are located in the support for the management and execution of technology transfer activities. In particular, it was found that as the academic's perception of the policies and procedures, support activities, and the university's technology transfer capacity improves, the barriers of both the researcher and those associated with the process are dissipated. This implies that universities should advance in the institutionalization of the third mission and in strengthening the functions of promotion, advice and support, as well as promotion structures and thus be able to mitigate the perceived barriers to the development of the University's Third Mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are increasingly called to substantiate their impact on society in terms of inclusivity and social sustainability, as prioritized in the pursuit of the "Third Mission" (TM). Today, HEIs are confronted with the demand to ensure refugees' inclusivity. However, how administrative and teaching staff enact such change within the organization to match the TM goals is under-investigated. This study explores the adoption of the European Qualification Passport for Refugees (EQPR) as an instrument for universities to pursue the TM in Italy. By adopting a theoretical sense-making approach, we find that the individual role of the staff in fostering organizational change depends on the adopted "emergent" approach to change and on internal factors, such as individual perceptions and experiences. This study contributes to the literature by showing contradictory aspects of the HEIs' pursuit of the TM. It sheds light on the interplay between different dimensions and grounded processes of sense-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High expectations are placed on universities to deliver well beyond their traditional outcomes (graduation and research) and support societal outcomes as their third mission and beyond. Yet, we see a dearth of performance measurements and research comparing universities considering the third mission outcomes, particularly around entrepreneurship support. To address this need, we rely on the ambidexterity perspective and use a slack-based data envelopment analysis (DEA) to compare efficiencies of 28 Indian universities in delivering entrepreneurship support alongside their traditional outcomes. The contribution of the study is two-fold. Firstly, we rate and compare the universities and identify the orientations towards particular mission outcomes of graduation, research, and entrepreneurship support. From our analysis, we find that fully efficient universities were only a few and were performing well across all the three outcomes. Secondly, we then use orientation and efficiency as a way to measure extent to which the universities can pursue third mission outcomes given their history. We note a path dependence among private universities that have mostly developed with a graduation orientation, to shift to entrepreneurship support without a research base. The study also comments on improving the existing national university ranking mechanisms that use subjective weights and does not consider the scale and orientation of the universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTIn response to the persistent indeterminacy – and the salient discontents – surrounding the innovation-centred reporting in the global university-industry collaborations, this study seeks to investigate the reporting of innovation results in Norwegian centres for research-based innovation (SFIs). Based on a large amount of recent public-access documentary evidence (SFI annual reports 2020) which have never been synthesized or systematically analysed before, this study seeks to document and evince the range of innovation initiatives which are reported from SFIs and to raise awareness of the public value innovation propositions that exist within the innovation reporting of these SFIs such as intangible value creation – social and public values of more normative texture, such as internationalization values, transparency, and open access to information, as well as gender balance.