Track on the Role of Universities at the Eu-SPRI 2025 Conference
The track 'The Role of Universities in Shaping Societal Futures' addresses the contribution of universities to social innovation, particularly focusing on activities that transcend traditional, unilateral notions of knowledge and technology transfer and aim at creating societal impact, social value, or the co-creation or co-production of knowledge. More understanding is needed especially with regard to forms of co-constructive transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary societal problem solving and alternative forms of engagement with societal actors.
We depart from the focus on research as the main catalyst for innovation and are further interested in the question of how universities can build the potential for social innovation through innovative forms of teaching and learning.
The track will further consider the framework conditions for (the building of potential for) social innovation within universities, focusing on
- policies, initiatives, and frameworks facilitating social innovations,
- the questions of how and to what extent universities integrate alternative frameworks for innovation that challenge paradigms focused on competitive advantage and growth into their missions, and thus their organisational fabric.
We welcome submissions from scholars as well as higher education practitioners, which focus on the topics raised above, until 31 January 2025. For further information please refer to the track abstract at the Eu-SPRI 2025 website.