WU strives for excellence in all three pillars of academic work: teaching, research, and the Third Mission. The university assesses the effectiveness of this work from the perspective of relevant stakeholders and in terms of the overarching goal of creating a positive impact, understood as making a contribution to the prosperous development of academia, science, and research, business and the economy, and society as a whole.  As a public university, WU has a responsibility to society, and at the same time it helps to shape society.

A responsible university like WU defines “Third Mission” as extending the role of universities to encompass a broader range of activities within their surrounding communities. The aim of Third Mission activities is to make a positive contribution to the development of society on many different levels. WU acknowledges and encourages the idea that all areas of university activity can make an impact by supporting the university’s Third Mission goals. While teaching and research activities can have an added effect on the Third Mission, the purpose of additional Third Mission activities is explicitly to have an impact on non-university stakeholders in business, the economy, and society. WU’s Third Mission activities highlight (and promote) the impact of teaching and research for society, but they should also have an additional positive impact on society apart from that. WU’s strategic orientation is based on the values of openness, integrity, and appreciation. To help make a positive impact on society, these values also inform the university’s third mission activities. Moreover, WU endeavors to communicate its multifaceted impact on academia, business, the economy, society, and politics to the public at large.

Click here to read about the Understanding of the Third Mission at WU

Goals and Perspectives for Development

As a public university for business and economics, WU is committed to maintaining and strengthening its responsibility to society now and in the future. The establishment of a Vice-Rector position for research and Third Mission highlights the importance of the Third Mission for WU. Building on its profile as a responsible university, WU intends to become a pioneer in this regard.

The university will take further steps to make a visible and lasting contribution to the prosperous development of society from the perspective of academia and business. This overarching objective is to be achieved through four interlinked goals:

• Continued development of a common understanding of the Third Mission and impact

• Identification of synergies and ways of increasing visibility

• Strengthening research and science communication

• Strengthening knowledge transfer and collaborative activities