STREAM 16
Universities as global leaders of social innovation

The role that locality and geography plays in the creation of social innovation ecosystems and specifically social enterprises has seen significant research over the last decade (Defourny and Nyssens, 2010; Galera and Borzaga, 2009; Hazenberg et al., 2016; Kerlin, 2013). However, whilst much of this previous research focus has been centred upon national and regional contexts globally, less attention has been paid to the differences and factors that influence social innovation ecosystems at the local level (i.e. town/municipality). Furthermore, previous research has identified that the institutional context of a given locality is of paramount importance in shaping the types of social enterprise that emerge (Mendell, 2010), along with socio-economic and political factors (Doherty et al., 2009). Among other institutional actors, universities are key institutional players within their localities since they have been shown to have significant economic and social impacts on their communities (Bonner, 1968; Glasson, 2003). 

In this panel, we seek to build upon previous streams centred on this topic held at ISIRC 2020, 2021 and 2022, to explore the role that universities can play in driving the development and sustainability of social innovation ecosystems in their locality, and how this can then drive social innovation globally through research, education, knowledge exchange, international partnerships and policy development. Building on this initial panel, we wish to explore the role that international partnerships, global ranking and impact frameworks, as well as adherence to the Sustainable Development Goals can have on social innovation in higher education. Therefore, the themes to be explored include: 

• Universities as leaders of social innovation;

• Research, teaching and community engagement;

• Universities as anchor institutions;

• Resource acquisition and provision;

• Incubation and acceleration facilities;

• Network creation and partnerships locally and globally;

• Policy advocacy and innovation;

• Global ranking and impact frameworks;

• The UN SDGs.

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References:

1. Bonner, E.R., (1968), The Economic Impact of a University on Its Local Community, Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 34(5), pp. 339-343.

2. Defourny, J., & Nyssens, M. (2010), Conceptions of Social Enterprise and Social Entrepreneurship in Europe and the United States: Convergences and Divergences. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 1(1), 32–53.

3. Doherty, B., Foster, G., Mason, C., Meehan, J., Meehan, K., Rotheroe, N. and Royce, M., (2009), Management for Social Enterprise, London, Sage Publications

4. Galera, G., & Borzaga, C. (2009), Social Enterprise: An International Overview of Its Conceptual Evolution and Legal Implementation. Social Enterprise Journal, 5(3), 210–228

5. Glasson, J., (2003), The Widening Local and Regional Development Impacts of the Modern Universities - A Tale of Two Cities (and North-South Perspectives), Local Economy, 18(1), pp. 21-37.

6. Hazenberg, R., Bajwa-Patel, M., Roy, M.J., Mazzei, M. and Baglioni, S., (2016), The role of institutional and stakeholder networks in shaping social enterprise ecosystems in Europe, Social Enterprise Journal, 12(3), pp. 302-321.

7. Kerlin, J. A. (2013), Defining Social Enterprise Across Different Contexts: A Conceptual Framework Based on Institutional Factors, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 42(1), pp. 84–108.

8. Mendell, M., (2010), Reflections on the evolving landscape of social enterprise in North America, Policy and Society, 29(3), pp. 243–256.