From policy to practice: engaging and embedding the third mission in contemporary universities.

Purpose - Over the past 20 years public policy has sought to promote and formalise the socioeconomic role of universities under the auspices of the so called ''third mission''. The purpose of this paper is to consider how the third mission relates to, and has the capacity to reinforce the core missions of teaching and research. Design/methodology/approach - By highlighting the key limitations of contemporary debate the paper bridges the conceptual model/case-study dichotomy that characterises the literature. The paper draws on an ongoing study of higher education institutions in the UK and Europe. Findings - The paper contends that triangulating teaching, research, and third stream activities reinforces the respective dynamics of each component through their recursive and reciprocal development. Research limitations/implications - The paper forms the foundations of a de novo research agenda to better understand the dynamics of the third mission as a central facet of the contemporary university. Practical implications - The paper has implications for policy-makers and institutional strategy alike - identifying an unparalleled opportunity for institutional development by linking teaching, research, and third stream activities. Originality/value - By highlighting the importance that universities need to embody an ''inherent idea'' the paper contends the third mission presents the capacity for institutional development beyond the third mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]