About Third Mission

As a Responsible University, we are committed to disseminating knowledge, driving public debates, and paving the way for tangible transformation processes in our society.

We make a positive impact through research (our first mission) and teaching (our second mission) and through work that goes beyond these activities – and that we and others call our third mission. According to § 1 of the  Austrian Universities Act, one of the main responsibilities of a university is to “contribute to the personal development of the individual and to the welfare of society and the environment.”

The third mission is an integral part of WU’s Strategy. WU is one of only very few universities that expressly state their commitment to the third mission in the title of a Vice-Rector’s portfolio – namely that of WU’s Vice-Rector for Research & Third Mission. The Third Mission Office supports the WU community in publicizing WU’s wide-ranging activities in this field and further developing them based on a targeted strategy.

What does Third Mission mean? 

The term “third mission” does not have a universally accepted definition, and the concept behind it is often regarded as a concern that cuts across all of a university’s different areas of activity. Broadly speaking, the “third mission” refers to working with and within the broader community in order to create added value for society. Ideally, it is all about creating mutually “beneficial interconnections” (Rössler, FIFTH project, 2015) where everybody profits. This means getting in touch, interacting, and collaborating with many different players in society, government, and business (= our stakeholders). The third mission plays an especially important role when it comes to addressing the major challenges facing our societies today.  Experts from the Institute for Higher Education Research (Henke/Pasternack/Schmid, 2015) have identified three main areas of action for universities. In all three of them, WU carries out a wide range of activities and initiatives: knowledge and technology transfer, community outreach and social engagement, and continuing education and lifelong learning.

Knowledge Transfer and Innovation

Community Outreach & Social Engagement

Continuing Education & Lifelong learning

Our Goals and Perspectives for Development

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

Icon: Brief

Contact

Third Mission Office

Questions, comments, or ideas about the Third Mission at WU? Contact us!

thirdmission@wu.ac.at