Regional University’s journey from Social Engagement to Social Innovation

In preparation for the IAU Global Meeting of Associations 6, this issue - IAU Horizons, 21, 1 - offers reports on IAU priority areas, new projects and initiatives, especially LGEU, and upcoming events and conferences.
By E. Nigel Harris. Regional University’s journey from Social Engagement to Social InnovationIn framing its 2012-2017 Strategic Plan, the University of the West Indies (UWI) amended its Mission statement to spell out more specifically the areas of societal development – social, economic, political, cultural, environmental— which as an institution, it would address. The statement reads:
To advance education and create knowledge through excellence in teaching, research, innovation, public service, intellectual leadership and outreach in order to support the inclusive (social, economic, political, cultural, environmental) development of the Caribbean region and beyond.
This statement and the accompanying Strategic Plan emphasised the university’s intention to pursue a more proactive and interventionist approach in societal development. It is true that the essential features of the statement may not differ from that of many other universities – a commitment to teaching, research and service – but specifying areas of engagement enables better documentation of the university’s contribution to the transformation of the countries it serves. Download IAU Horizons, 21, 1.