A new open-access book chapter titled “Pedagogical strategies for social innovation education: an analysis of European higher education institutions” is now available. Co-authored by Hilde Svrljuga Sætre, Katri-Liis Lepik, Philippe Eiselein, Harri Kostilainen, and Niina Karvinen, the work is featured in the Handbook of Teaching and Learning in Social Innovation.
Key Insights
The chapter explores how higher education institutions (HEIs) across Europe adapt their educational strategies to teach social innovation (SI). Drawing on exploratory data from 28 semi-structured interviews across Finland, Ireland, Spain, and Romania through the European Social Innovation Campus (ESIC) project, the research identifies three central pillars driving modern SI curricula:
- Action-Oriented Learning: A distinct shift away from purely theoretical models toward practical, functional, and pragmatic instruction that addresses immediate community needs.
- Multistakeholder Co-Creation: The strategic integration of policymakers, civil society organizations, industry professionals, and academics to build collaborative, real-world problem-solving spaces.
- Digital Tools as Enablers: Leveraging digital platforms and blended learning spaces to transcend geographical barriers and expand the scalability of social initiatives.
Institutional Analysis
The study highlights both progress and structural disparities across European educational systems. While institutions in countries like Finland and Ireland benefit from structured national platforms and strategic institutional alignment, efforts in regions like Spain and Romania frequently rely on grassroots, faculty-led initiatives that face fragmented funding and systemic barriers. The authors call for comprehensive policy frameworks, sustained resource allocation, and dedicated faculty training to embed social innovation permanently into higher education frameworks.
The full text is published open-access under a Creative Commons license and can be accessed online via Elgaronline or download the full article here.