ERUA’s fourth Annual Summit 2024 stands at the forefront of exploring the significant role of social innovations in the face of global transformation and sustainability crises. This summit represents a distinctive assembly of thought leaders, academics, policymakers, and innovators, all uniting with a shared objective: to thoroughly explore the pressing needs of social innovations in addressing contemporary challenges.
At the heart of this summit is the exploration of the role that universities play in critiquing, questioning, nurturing and developing social innovations. The event aims to highlight their role in sculpting a resilient and adaptive society, recognizing that higher education institutions are not just centers of knowledge, but pivotal agents of societal change. This summit also explores the synergy between education and research emphasizing their combined role as catalysts for social innovation.
The summit intends to examine the methodologies and challenges in measuring the societal impact of scientific research. This critical discourse is needed to bridge the gap between academic pursuits and tangible societal benefits, highlighting the importance of questioning in what ways we ensure accountability and impact of research in the wider society. The event also endeavours to showcase exemplary practices in developing social innovations and provide insights into strategies for nurturing ecosystems for social innovations, particularly in cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral partnerships within and beyond academia.
The summit will also address the development of social innovations within the framework of open science. This approach encompasses a broad range of practices including, but not limited to the accessibility of scientific knowledge and the democratization of scientific information. By embracing these principles, the summit advocates for a shift towards more inclusive, transparent, and collaborative scientific endeavors in keeping with responsible research practices.
The conference will explore the role of social innovations in a series of focused parallel workshops. It therefore invites contributions focusing on social innovations in different fields, specifically, but not limited to the thematic fields of ERUA (Migration, Exile, and Refugees; Democracy, Human Rights, Inclusion and Gender Equality; Sustainable Environmental Transition; Interculturality and Multilingualism; Arts and Edges, cross-sectoral collaboration and care ethics).
ERUA’s Fourth Annual Summit 2024 will offer a platform for exchanging ideas, fostering innovation, and shaping the future of social innovations in an increasingly interconnected world. The discussions are set to play a crucial role in fostering an academic landscape where research not only transcends traditional boundaries but also contributes significantly to societal advancement.
Participants are invited to contribute to a dialogue that not only understands but also shapes the trajectory of social innovation in our societies.
