Abstract
The dominant model of universities, especially in the social sciences, is often based upon academic disciplines, objectivity, and a linear knowledge-transfer model. It facilitates competition between academics, educating students for specific professions from an objective, descriptive, and neutral position. This paper argues that this institutional model of universities is inadequate to contribute effectively to societal transitions towards just and sustainable futures. Taking the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), the Netherlands, as an example, this paper illustrates the problems with the dominant (twentieth century) model of universities in the social sciences and explores what strategies universities can develop to transform. It introduces the notions of transformative research and transformative education: transdisciplinary, collaborative, and action-oriented academic work that explicitly aims to support societal transitions. It presents the design impact transition (DIT) platform as an ‘institutional experiment’ at the EUR and a concerted and strategic effort that lays bare current lock-ins of the dominant university model and the kind of institutional work needed to transform universities.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 19-33 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Sustainability Science |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 23 Jun 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This ‘twentieth century model’ has been financed by substantial amounts of ‘basic funding’ for universities through national governments. Funding mechanisms and systems have developed for research in support of the production and transfer of knowledge. In research, funding schemes have developed within the disciplines and focused on financing excellent research, often supporting individual researchers that compete for grants with their peers. Intricate systems of calls, review, and selection have been put in place to ensure academic quality as well as innovation within the discipline. Collaborative grants are more and more common, especially at the European level, also emphasizing academic quality and proposing research projects that advance the state-of the-art in specific fields. Proposals often have to present what and how they will research to receive funding. Funding schemes often fund up to 90% of the costs (e.g., salary costs and part of the overhead cost) but often much less, meaning that universities have to co-fund it themselves.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
Research programs
- ESSB PA