Spearheading social innovation — main theme of ERUA Summit 2024
Inspired and energized are two words that characterize the attitudes of an 18-person team of academics, students, and administrative professionals from SWPS University who have just returned from the 4th Annual ERUA Summit, which took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, at the end of June 2024. The Summit brought together representatives of eight higher education institutions that form the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA) and a delegation of Ukrainian academics participating in the ER-UA project.
Addressing challenges and making the world a better place
The main theme of the Summit was “Social Innovations for Transformative Society.” Since SWPS University has numerous social innovation projects and implementations under its belt, we were excited to contribute our expertise to the overall discussion and exchange ideas with our colleagues from other European and Ukrainian universities.
The Summit also offered an opportunity for in-person interaction within and across ERUA's governing bodies. Being part of the European Universities Initiative is, in fact, a pioneering social innovation in itself.
Over three days, we explored the role of social innovations in global transformation, and the part universities play in critiquing, questioning, nurturing, and developing such innovations. We also addressed the development of social innovations within the framework of open science, as the goal of ERUA is to bridge the gap between academic pursuits and tangible societal benefits.
The Summit provided a platform for showcasing exemplary practices in developing social innovations and clarifying what social innovations actually entail. The presenters provided insights into effective strategies and methodologies for nurturing ecosystems for social innovations, particularly within the academic context.
The main challenges that we focused on included:
- Navigating the complexities of migration, exile, and refugees
- Democracy, human rights, inclusion and gender equality
- Leveraging social innovations for sustainable environmental transition
- Embracing interculturality and multilingualism
- Arts and edges: unconventional approaches to social change.
Working together to achieve common goals
To achieve all these goals, we need to work together. In his opening speech, Professor Roman Cieślak, Rector of SWPS University and President of the ERUA Board of Rectors, emphasized the importance of collaboration within the alliance:
“Collaboration is at the core of our alliance. By working together across different disciplines and backgrounds, we can develop new ideas and approaches. This cooperative spirit encourages us to share knowledge and expertise, helping us to address complex problems more effectively.
When people from diverse fields come together, they bring unique methods and insights, creating a more innovative environment. This teamwork not only improves our academic efforts but also builds a strong network of professionals who support and learn from each other. It helps us combine our resources and strengths, making us better equipped to handle challenges.“
ER-UA — Strengthening cooperation with Ukrainian universities
The team from SWPS University was joined by academics from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and KROK University that participate in the “ER-UA Strengthening cooperation with Ukrainian universities within the European Universities Initiative '', funded by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA).
The ER-UA project aims to develop a link between the Ukrainian universities, the ERUA Alliance, and European universities in order to establish a direct collaboration network between representatives of the Ukrainian universities and members of the ERUA Alliance.
