Competitiveness and sustainability can universities find a common ground

Описание: Europe’s pursuit of sustainability has drawn on a holistic understanding of climate and environment which is deeply intertwined with society, culture and economy, and informed by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the EU’s own Green Deal and the concept of a just transition.

Yet recent shifts in EU discourse suggest a narrowing of priorities around industrial competitiveness, with sometimes very explicit dichotomies between the imperative to go green and the demand to ease regulatory burdens. How deep-seated are these tensions, and will they hamper Europe’s holistic sustainability agenda?

Developments in research and innovation policy and funding suggest that university missions have evolved in line with this holistic agenda for some time, while universities have simultaneously built bridges with various sectors and industries. With a growing emphasis on interdisciplinarity, challenge-based learning and mission-driven approaches, important lessons have already been learned about how competitiveness and sustainability may be reconciled.

Featuring views from policy makers and universities engaged in collaborations across economy and society, this webinar triggered reflection on how the competitiveness discourse can be an opportunity to enhance new ways of working between academia, citizens and industry. Speakers discussed the evolving landscape of university partnerships and its contribution to future-fit industries and skills through alignment with sustainability across research, education and innovation.

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