Global Responsibility in Finland: Egalitarian Foundations and Neoliberal Creep (original) (raw)
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Global Social Responsibility and the Internationalisation of Higher Education for Society
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In this article, we argue that there is an urgent need to align internationalisation and university social responsibility agendas through the construct of Internationalisation of Higher Education for Society. The service or “third mission” of higher education institutions - to contribute to the social, economic, and cultural development of communities - has long been a core function of universities alongside teaching and research. However, the service mission is often disconnected from the internationalisation agenda. Service to society is rarely the focus of internationalisation strategies, and third mission strategies are predominantly domestically oriented. We consider how universities might, in today’s fractured and fragile world, amplify their contributions to society and the global common good by strategically enacting their global social responsibility through internationalisation. Related concepts of relevance are discussed, and we conclude with recommendations for leaders, ...
Global responsibility and sustainability are vital for our planet. New forms of cooperation are needed to foster ecological, social, cultural and economic sustainability. Higher education needs to be active and innovative in finding processes that safeguard the dignity of all life. The GLORE project strengthened the capacity of four Finnish universities of applied sciences in their teaching, research and development cooperation with partners in Nepal, Tanzania, Namibia and Swaziland. This publication presents the background, core activities and results of the project. Over 50 staff exchanges resulted in numerous research and development processes in social services, health care, education and civil society mobilization. The articles are written by personnel in the Finnish networking institutions and their global partners. The project calls for more systematic integration of the principles of global responsibility and sustainable development in strategies, curricula and everyday life in universities of applied sciences. In order to respond to global needs, wide-reaching, innovative and ethically sustainable cooperation is required with an increasingly wide range of stakeholders. GLORE (2014-2016) was funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.
Towards a Socially Responsible University: Balancing the Global with the Local aims to analyse the dual responsibilities of universities at local and global level, exploring the potential conflicts and intrinsic difficulties in addressing both the local demands of society based on the race for global competitiveness and the local and global demands to contribute to a more equitable and sustainable society (at local and global levels). There is a dual perspective on global affairs: on one side, competition between national and regional economic systems when developing their respective societies still predominates, and on the other, there is the global sustainability of the sum of all these developments, which is gaining momentum. Higher education institutions (HEIs) can be identified as key players from both perspectives and, thus, have the singular responsibility of helping to provide appropriate and adequate responses to both legitimate needs and interests: i) to address the global challenges of the world, which are very well summarized by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and ii) to contribute to the social, cultural and economic development and international development of their societies. The current organization of higher education in the world urges universities to compete on the global stage for students, faculty and research contracts. At the same time, they are expected to contribute to the economic development of their localities and to sustainable and inclusive global and local development. From this perspective, it becomes necessary to make the dual engagement of universities explicit: with the immediate needs of our local societies and with the global challenges of the world, of our global society. The study of this duality has been the objective of this 6th Higher Education in the World (HEIW) GUNi Report, ‘Towards a Socially Responsible University: Balancing the Global with the Local’. 86 experts from 28 countries have contributed to a dissection of the topic and the identification of good practices that can help academic leaders and policy-makers to realize the highest purposes of education and research.
Towards a Socially Responsible University: Balancing the Global with the Local
The 6th HEIW Report deals with the dual responsibilities of universities at local and global scale, exploring the potential conflict, or intrinsic difficulties, in addressing both local demands of society based on the race for global competitiveness and local and global demands to contribute to a more equitable and sustainable society, at local and global scales. 86 experts from 28 countries have contributed to a dissection of the topic and the identification of good practices that can help academic leaders and policy-makers to realize the highest purposes of education and research.
Socially Responsible Higher Education: International Perspectives on Knowledge Democracy
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This edited book shares the experiences of a broadly representative and globally dispersed set of writers on higher education and social responsibility, broadening perspectives on the democratization of knowledge. The editors have deliberately sought examples and viewpoints from parts of the world that are seldom heard in the international literature. Importantly, the have intentionally chosen to achieve a gender and diversity balance among the contributors. the stories call us to take back the right to imagine and reclaim the public purposes of higher education
GUNi Series on the Social Commitment of Universities Higher Education in the World 4 Higher Education’s Commitment to Sustainability: From Understanding to Action This fourth report, Higher Education’s Commitment to Sustainability: From Understanding to Action, includes papers by 85 authors from 38 countries. The publication presents the current situation and its implication for higher education (HE), analyzing the link between sustainability and HE. It shows a map of how the regions are advancing with regard to the subject; complemented with trending topics, networks’ experiences and good practices. The report offers different visions that contribute to the transformation of HE. The publication also includes a study to identify the main barriers that prevent the transformation of higher education institutions (HEIs) towards contributing to the sustainability paradigm, and highlight possible solutions in a global framework to advance from understanding to action. HEIs can play a significant role in building a sustainable paradigm. They may help in facing local and global challenges, facilitating society to answer major global challenges. Their vision and action could be reinforced with a role review towards the creation and distribution of socially relevant knowledge in education and research and in the relationship with communities. They can support, and even anticipate, ways for action to play a proactive and committed role in rebuilt societies. The final goal of this Report is to stimulate debate among all those whose different links with the world of HE could contribute to enriching the discussion. We aim to stimulate serious and profound thought, which will open opportunities that should be jointly analyzed, discussed and hopefully used by academics, university leaders, policy makers, practitioners and members of civil society. GUNI’s mission is to strengthen the role of higher education in society, contributing to the renewal of the visions, missions and policies of higher education across the world under a vision of public service, relevance and social responsibility.
In the current context of a global imperative (Pashby, 2008), the university’s role as a critic and as the conscience of society is both heightened and attacked. Universities are increasingly responding to calls to internationalize through bringing in international students, sending students abroad, building international research partnerships, and internationalizing course curricula. This paper presents an overview of an inter-disciplinary, international mixed-methods research project funded through the Academy of Finland and involving over 20 university sites in 10 countries . The project examines how internationalization processes in higher education construct ideas of epistemic difference, transnational literacy, and global citizenship. At the SRHE conference in December 2013, we present the collectively developed analytic framework, key aspects of the methodology, and some preliminary findings. In particular, we demonstrate how early findings confirm the dominance of neoliberal views of internationalism and also include important examples of social responsibility in certain policies. We raise some questions around the implications of these findings for recognizing an ethical imperative in the current race to internationalize in higher education institutions.
Reinventing international higher education for a socially just, sustainable world
Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 2023
Post-pandemic, there is a growing recognition that higher education needs to take a more proactive role in addressing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals-the 17 goals for 2030 that aim to balance global economic development with the need to tackle climate change and protect our natural ecosystems. This change of focus has profound implications for international higher education. For universities in countries like Australia, New Zealand and the UK, internationalisation has underpinned a successful business model. Recruiting children of wealthy elites in developing countries and charging them high tuition fees allows universities to invest in research and facilities and drive themselves up global rankings tables. But recruiting students from the Global South imposes an environmental cost in terms of the carbon footprint and perpetuates structural inequality. This article explores solutions to moving beyond the current business model and adopting an internationalisation strategy that prioritises social justice and environmental sustainability.