Societal changes and challenges such as globalization, climate change and questions of sustainability as well as the rise of populism fake news or the current corona pandemic have both highlighted and challenged the role of universities in and for society. Universities achieve (societal) impact through quality in research and education. The combination of the two is unique to universities and enables an environment for creating new knowledge and providing the shortest path of this knowledge to future generations. Therefore, universities play as public institutions various and important roles to expand their academic achievements to all levels of the society in a variety of ways, which are often summarized as the “third mission”.

The workshop puts a spotlight on the different levels and aspects of this third mission for the UoC and how the society in return will impact and shape the role and perception of universities in the future. The workshop will develop/ask for strategies, which can be derived from UoC’s specific profiles and explores what is needed to realize its intellectual, cultural, infrastructural and innovative potential that arises from both its history and its current location as a research-focused university in a mega-urban region. This includes aspects of (knowledge) transfer and innovation, co-creation, societal impact through foci in research and education (e.g. teacher education), partnerships with societal stakeholders from politics, culture, education, business and industry, further education, communication and contributions to public societal debates.

Leitung: Günter Schwarz (Vorsitzender Beirat Innovation und Forschungsinfrastrukturen, Institut für Biochemie, Mathematisch Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät), Peter Marx (Institut für Medienkultur und Theater, Philosophische Fakultät)

Sprache: Deutsch/Englisch