Contemporary higher education operates in a state of ongoing complexity. Universities are faced with multiple challenges, including environmental sustainability, social inequalities, digital changes, work disruptions and changing public perceptions regarding their social roles. These are structural challenges. It is on this note that this special issue of the Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education is focused, as it explores how universities serve as agents of change.
The theme of this special issue comprises articles with empirical evidence that sheds light on the application of sustainability commitments in higher education institutions. In addition to discussing the theoretical concept of social innovation in higher education, the articles cover various applications of social innovation for sustainable futures.
Social innovation is the potential of universities to transform themselves into better-structured, better-organized and better-networked institutions that benefit societal well-being. This approach encompasses not only environmental sustainability but also areas of social sustainability, economic sustainability, governance sustainability and cultural sustainability. An important theme among the contributions is the move away from discrete, stand-alone initiatives and towards system-level change and sustainability.
Some of the articles focus on innovation in pedagogical practice as a key means by which institutions of higher learning can function as change agents. Some of the articles discuss innovative learning paradigms, interdisciplinary curricula, community-engaged learning pedagogies and competency-based methods that cultivate students’ mastery of sustainability knowledge and skills. The articles emphasize the importance of institutions of higher learning in equipping graduates with systems thinking, ethical decision-making and problem-solving abilities, which are becoming increasingly vital across different spheres.
Some articles emphasize research and knowledge creation, including an exploration of interdisciplinary and application-oriented approaches that link research and the needs of society. Such articles examine co-created research approaches, partnerships and provide evidence of how universities can increase the relevance of research. These articles contribute to debates and discussions about research assessment, its impact and its public roles.
Another theme developed in this special issue is related to how universities integrate their organizational practices with their commitments towards sustainability. The articles discuss institutional governance, strategies towards sustainability and organizational policies. This gives insight into how institutional structures facilitate or impede social innovation.
The special issue also captures the international experience of higher education as it relates to issues of sustainability. The papers cover a range of national contexts, which provide insights into how the context of social innovation shapes and is shaped by the context in which it occurs. The papers also bring to the forefront the commonalities of experience, thereby underlining the importance of learning from other contexts internationally.
The collection of articles presented in this special issue indicates that universities operate in a transformative manner in terms of change when the issue of sustainability is treated as a learning process. Institutional change occurs not solely on the basis of policy requirements but also through continuing engagement and learning. Applied research has an important part to play in this process.
The articles provide evidence-informed insights for scholars, leaders, policymakers and practitioners interested in learning about the operationalization of social innovation within the higher education context. In seeking to advance sustainability through practical university-based research, the intent of this special issue is ultimately to help universities improve their ability to positively contribute towards sustainable futures.
The potential of the university as an agent of change will depend upon its effectiveness in integrating knowledge and practice and taking responsibility for change. The research presented in this special issue has important lessons to offer with regard to integrating knowledge and taking responsibility for change.
