Impact: how universities can change the world
Impact in the context of higher education refers to the relationship between universities' research and activities and their environment. It's a question of how universities are changing the world, and it's one that we hear more and more often in academic circles.
At the ENLIGHT Impact Conference, international experts in public policy, science management, research funding, and higher education research discussed strategies to increase universities' impact. The sole representative from Poland was Dr. Marta Wróblewska from SWPS University's Faculty of Humanities in Warsaw, who has been researching impact assessment for eight years.
Impact is becoming more and more important in academia. It can be argued that in addition to research and teaching, which are the core of the Humboldtian model of higher education, we have added a third branch: interaction with the social environment, fostering discussions, and developing solutions for citizens. This area is increasingly being evaluated – in Poland it was one of the elements of the recent evaluation of scientific activity (accounting for 20% of the assessment). At SWPS University, we are currently developing a new strategy, which I expect will emphasize the role of social environment and impact.
Marta Wróblewska, Ph.D.
impact assessment expert
The ENLIGHT Impact Conference was the first event of its kind organized by the ENLIGHT network.
Dr Marta Wróblewska: keynote speaker at the ENLIGHT Impact Conference
Dr. Marta Wróblewska was invited to speak at the conference due to her extensive experience in the field of impact assessment. She has devoted eight years to studying this topic, with a particular focus on comparing impact assessment systems. She has authored several publications on impact assessment, including the only handbook for researchers available in Polish, which was published as a free e-book.
During the conference Dr. Wroblewska presented her findings on impact assessment systems in Poland, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
I specialize in analyzing scientific discourse. In other words, I study how we, scientists, communicate. The language we use to discuss our own research and that of others not only reflects our values, but also helps to shape them. In recent years, I have been studying a new form of academic writing, the impact case study, which aims to describe and establish a new academic value — impact. I have analyzed how these documents are written in different countries, starting with the UK, then Norway, and finally Poland. As various impact evaluations are introduced globally, my research continues to generate interest.
dr Marta Wróblewska
impact assessment expert
ENLIGHT Impact Conference speakers. Dr Marta Wróblewska is on the far left.
European Universities: future of higher education
ENLIGHT stands for European university Network to promote equitable quality of Life, sustaInability and Global engagement through Higher education Transformation. It’s an alliance of nine universities from nine European countries (Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden) that aims to tackle global issues like climate change, digital revolution, or the health and well-being of aging populations.
ENLIGHT network is one of the 44 European Universities, which are transnational alliances of higher education institutions from the European Union. They work together to develop long-term strategies for education and research, aiming to:
- fostering international cooperation between different disciplines and cultures
- promoting European values and identity
- improving the quality and competitiveness of European higher education
European Universities currently involve around 340 higher education institutions in both capital cities and remote regions of 31 countries, including all EU Member States as well as Iceland, Norway, Serbia, and Turkey. The initiative aims to establish 60 transnational campuses, bringing together more than 500 higher education institutions.
At SWPS University, we believe in the value of working together with others. We are proud to be the first non-public university in Poland that has been invited to join the European Universities. Since last October, we have been an associated partner of the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA).
Read more about our partnership with ERUA
Join us and change the world!
Since its establishment, SWPS University has been committed to conducting research that serves society and improves the quality of life. We also believe in instilling this approach in our students
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