The project aspires to catalyze significant changes in higher education by providing tools to help university staff transform their community engagement efforts into more strategic and impactful initiatives. The ACE consortium will develop innovative, practical solutions to promote a culture of social innovation and shape the future of public engagement in European universities.
Dr inż. Dorota Piotrowska, university professor, director of the International Cooperation Centre, who also coordinates the project, highlights its importance for enhancing dialogue and collaboration between universities and their communities.
‘Together with our partners, we will develop a Guide for Social Engagement, which will encourage a culture of engagement, cooperation, and social responsibility within the higher education sector. The guide will be accompanied by a practical toolkit to help universities build and implement effective social engagement strategies. Additionally, an innovative digital platform will facilitate collaboration’,
explains professor Piotrowska.
The project will also focus on developing social engagement competence among university staff. To this end, the consortium will organize a three-day hackathon training program, which can later be replicated by other higher education institutions.
The consortium’s activities will be based on an innovative cooperation model known as the quadruple helix, which integrates science, industry, public administration, society and institutions representing societal interests (e.g., NGOs). The inclusion of the fourth helix (society) is crucial for establishing lasting partnerships, as the relevance of science is increasingly evaluated by its ability to address specific societal needs. This model emphasizes the public good and facilitates stronger relationships between universities, governments, businesses, and society. It also positively influences the development of strategies that address contemporary challenges.
The project responds to the need, identified by the partners, for universities to re-engage with their communities – a need that was significantly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, universities shifted their focus primarily toward improving remote learning. Now, there is a pressing need to revive the socio-economic activities of universities and equip them to support society in tackling current issues such as the climate crisis, social isolation, mental health, and discrimination.
TUL’s partners in the project include Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, University of Belgrade, University of Tartu, European e-Learning Institute, and ACEEU GmbH.
Project implementation will begin on October 1, 2024, and will span three years.