HERE Seminar Universities and Social Engagement   13-14 June 2017 University of Nicosia Cyprus

Social engagement/inclusion: What does it entail? “Institutions and higher education systems are exploring, somewhat cautiously, the concepts of global and local, of impact and engagement, of social innovation and responsible research and innovation. This reaction arises from different interpretations of what is being asked of higher education, as well as diverse understandings about the ways in which HEIs can and should re- spond to the changed environment. Context is important, as differences arise about what the concepts mean and their implications.” GUNI Series on the Social Commitment of Universities (2017)

Social engagement/inclusion: What does it entail? The student population (access) Recruitment, scholarships, support services to disadvantaged groups Teaching Curricula for global citizenship Education for Development (EFD): role of the university in generating critical understanding and in preparing citizens who are both active and committed to transforming inequalities at the local-global scale Research Collaboration with stakeholders like employers, graduates, community or business (Third Mission?) Collaborative Research for Sustainable Development/Societies ‘Responsible resarch’ Outreach to society - Community Voluntary/obligatory – extra-curricular/project based Local partnerships and the local mission

From the Virtual Community….. National policies on social engagement largely absent Legislation deals more with basic rights to access Lack of institutional strategic approaches (but high interest to develop them) Khazar University: Need to systematise social engagement Need to define terminology (“There is no consensus about ‘engagement’ terminology. ‘Public’, ‘social’ and ‘community’ are all contested terms, so it is necessary to define how we are using them”) The ‘Third Mission’ “The engaged university: Engaging students, research and communities’ (Simon Fraser) ”The Civic University’ (Hazelkorn)

European policy framework Bologna Process commitments (‘Social dimension’) Renewed EU agenda for Higher Education (published May 30, 2017) Ensuring graduates leave HE with the skill sets they and the modern economy need; Building inclusive higher education systems; Making sure higher education institutions contribute to innovation in the rest of the economy; Supporting higher education institutions and governments in making the best use of human and financial resources available. Erasmus+ support to help HEIs in developing and implementing integrated institutional strategies for inclusion, gender equality and study success from admission to graduation, including through cooperation with schools and VET providers.

Changing context: A look at migrants/refugees, HE and social engagement Acknowledged migrant/refugee ‘crisis’ in Europe (2014) Beyond debates on borders, redistribution and security, tremendous interest in inclusion policies Learning/education is critical for migrant inclusion (OECD 2015) Only 50% of refugees worldwide have access to primary education, compared with a global access level of more than 90% and only 1% of refugees are enrolled in higher education (UNHCR, 2016) EU Skills Agenda (2016) Besides meeting refugees’ most urgent needs (accommodation and food) there is a need to help improve their long-term situation…..helping them to quickly improve their skills in the language of their host countries, in order to integrate into society, and to find employment

This seminar: Desired Learning Outcomes Be able to identify different institutional strategies with regards to inclusion, and how these strategies help HEI to respond to a changing student demographic and specifically those that may be marginalised Identify some of the key issues associated with access (financing, outreach, retention and student services, RPL) and how HEI in different systems are addressing them Identify good practices in how HEI are utilising technology and ICT, including online and distance learning, to enhance access

Desired Learning Outcomes Assess how the ‘social mission’ of the university is woven/can be woven into curricula design Gain an overview of specific HEI strategies and programmes to include migrants and refugees, and some of the challenges associated with this Connect the university social mission with that of research and identify good practices accordingly.

Ice-breaker Who is currently excluded or disadvantaged 1) at your university 2) from HE in your country? Name one key obstacle when it comes to social engagement (for your institution or country)? Name one specific theme or area that you would like to explore in more depth in the seminar (regarding social engagement) – Please list this on a flashcard

SPHERE Contacts Elizabeth Colucci: elizabeth.colucci@eua.be Nicolas Patrici: npatrici@obreal.org General queries: here@ub.edu

Summary Inclusion, civic/social engagement, third mission… are they the same? Importance of context Clarification of terms Inclusion Who are we trying to include? HE system perspective Austrian national strategy Role of and policies for RPL Permeability of system: VET-HE – Problematic perception of VET Indicators/data What do we know about our student population? Does it reflect society? Financing/resourcing Government funding or private resources? Performance contracts? Project funding? Channeling partnerships with the community - A centralised unit? (CARL organisation – UCC)

Summary Institutional (strategies) Comprehensive/involving students in development: UCC: Charter for community and civic engagement Mission driven: Hadassah Academic College Regional/Centre driven: Agri U. Of Tirana Bottom-up/initiative driven: Bremen – Principles of diversity How to build them? A means to sensitisation A collective endeavour (with other universities)? Connection between teaching/learning/research Social impact research/partnership based research Recognising community outreach-ECTS (?) The role of ICT and elearning? AN important tool for outreach and inclusion Different needs for different student profiles and types

Summary Focus: Migrants and refugees Going beyond scholarships Elearning/ICT: Yes, but blended/facilitated approaches Recognition/accreditation: Essential for this population Good practices on the EUA Ref Welcome Map Basic need and interest in language learning Need to share universitiy practices but a national strategy is also critical….