case can be particularly exciting when the partner company is a prospective future employer, engaging the students in joint volunteer projects that bridge the realms of university and corporate volunteering.
In such cases, participation in these projects serves as a valuable opportunity to cultivate informal connections with prospective colleagues in their future careers and gain firsthand insights into the intricacies of their professions.
Overall, engagement in university projects equips individuals with managerial skills and work experience that can prove valuable for graduates in the future. Besides, it is genuinely interesting. There is a marked difference between completing formal educational assignments, often devoid of real-world impact, and actively contributing to projects that genuinely address significant social challenges.
One notable example is the Faculty of Creative Industries at NRU HSE making social advertising videos as part of its NGO media accelerator project.[35] Guided by film and animation professionals, students create viral videos based on briefs provided by NGOs and selected through a competitive process. This format is not only effective but also holds potential appeal for other universities.
Do third mission projects help to develop social entrepreneurship?
Absolutely. Let me give you some more examples within the framework of applied project-based learning. One notable instance is the Russian national competition for NGOs titled “Tell the World,” organized by NRU HSE in collaboration with the Agency for Social Investments and Innovations.[36]
In this competition, NGOs and social enterprises serve as clients for student projects focused on developing marketing and communication strategies, product promotion strategies for social enterprises, market analysis, and the creation of brand guidelines to improve recognition for those organizations. A compelling catalog has been prepared to showcase the outcomes of these student projects.[37]
Over the course of three years, more than one hundred projects have been selected through this competition. They encompass a wide range of intriguing initiatives, from the implementation of augmented reality technology for a city museum in Sverdlovsk Region to devising marketing strategies for the promotion of products made by social enterprises that employ individuals with disabilities.
Social entrepreneurship can also be fostered through the format of creative or tourist clusters, which I mentioned earlier.
Can businesses partner with universities in fulfilling their third mission?
I would like to compare the concept of a university’s third mission with that of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in business.
CSR projects play a significant role in addressing socially relevant issues in cities and regions, while also aligning with the sustainability and development priorities of the business itself. For example, engaging with the communities where businesses are located can help mitigate potential risks. If city residents trust a company, they are more likely to view any issues that may arise at the company with understanding and support.
Creating an enabling urban environment, including aspects related to environment, social initiatives, and cultural development, is undeniably crucial for attracting and retaining talent. In this regard, companies involved in CSR initiatives could serve as valuable partners for universities in realizing their third mission. This partnership could encompass initiating student projects, supporting the university’s role as a think tank, and collaborating on activities with NGOs and social entrepreneurs.
And what are the opportunities the third mission offers to the university staff?
Within universities, there are structural units that seek external funding opportunities. By implementing various third mission projects, these units can establish their reputation among potential clients for conducting various activities such as research, analytics, and more. Eventually they can start providing services for commercial projects commissioned by companies or government bodies at the regional and city levels.
The Ural Federal University (UrFU) has an interesting example to share. In 2022, it launched a grant competition for university employees. The contests was funded with the university’s own funds, and its aim was to assist NGOs in developing projects eligible for funding through grant competitions offered by the Presidential Grants Fund and the Presidential Cultural Initiatives Contest.[38] The university can act as a partner with NGOs in implementing the winning projects.
The NGOs can also be interested in partnering with a university, including its role as a source of professional development for their employees. For instance, NGO leaders and specialists may choose to work with students in the capacity of lecturers or research associates at a university, often on a part-time basis.
The NGOs can also be interested in partnering with a university, including its role as a source of professional development for their employees – to work with students in the capacity of lecturers or research associates at a university.
Lastly, it is essential to emphasize that universities hold a reputable position in validating and affirming the credibility of the NGO performance and the methodologies they employ. When an organization can substantiate its social impacts with research findings, it adds a layer of authenticity to its work. Universities are well-suited to provide such validation, making partnerships with universities an important and promising avenue in this regard.
What universities can be called the leaders in developing the third mission in Russia? What kind of projects and new developments do they offer?
Yaroslavl State University, for instance, is expanding its close partnership with the regional resource center for NGO support, which is headed by Elena Isaeva. At the same time, YarGU promotes the third mission development among the universities in the Upper Volga macro-region as part of the “Priority 2030” program.
Another notable example of the third mission implementation is St. Petersburg State University, which has implemented a “clinical practice” format for its students. What does it mean, exactly?
Many are familiar with legal clinics run by universities, where students provide free legal advice to those in need. This helps upper-year students gain the necessary practical experience and get a better knowledge of the regulatory documents, while addressing various legal issues faced by the public.
The format of legal clinics has been picked up by more than one hundred universities in Russia.[39]
However, it is not just the legal clinic alone. St. Petersburg State University has 15 other clinics providing social services, psychological advice, conflict management, environment consultations, etc.[40]
I believe this format has a great future for the realization of the third mission of the university, wherein students and staff together solve urgent and important socio-economic problems while staying immersed into the process of education.[41]
What are the possible formats of impact investing in third mission projects?
The first pilot project, implemented in the impact investment format with direct government support, was called “Improving the Educational Performance results of School Students in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)”[42]. The project was organized
National Research University Higher School of Economics (2022). LIME Accelerator. Retrieved from: https://lime.hse.ru/limeaks. (accessed: 11.09.2023).
ANO ASII. (2023). Tell the World. III All-Russian Contest of Assignments for Socially Oriented NGOs and Social Enterprises. Retrieved from: https://int-vol.ru/povedaimiru. (accessed: 11.09.2023).
Anistratenko, O. B., Gaete Sepulveda, M. A., Maljova, U. I. & Sidlina, L. Z. Catalog of student projects developed by project participants for the development of intellectual volunteering. Retrieved from: https://int-vol.ru/#rec448505169. (accessed: 11.09.2023).
UrFU. (2022). Regulations for the “2022 Third Mission Research Challenge” competition. Retrieved from: https://clck.ru/35eNAz. (accessed: 11.09.2023).
Legal Clinics. (2023). Center for the Advancement of Legal Clinics. Retrieved from: https://www.codolc.com/. (accessed: 11.09.2023).
Saint Petersburg State University. (2023). Clinical practice at St. Petersburg State University. Retrieved from: https://spbu.ru/studentam/praktika-po-modeli-kliniki-v-spbgu. (accessed: 11.09.2023).
Lavrikova, M. Yu. & Rusakova, M. M. The contemporary labor market and education: a clinical approach as a response to the need for change in training. Retrieved from: https://spbu.ru/sites/default/files/kliniki_spbgu.pdf. (accessed: 11.09.2023).
National Research University Higher School Of Economics. (2022). Social Impact Project “Improving the Quality of Education in Schools of Khangalassky ulus”, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Retrieved from: https://ioe.hse.ru/sakha/results/. (accessed: 11.09.2023).
