21 Nov 2025
Webinar 1 - 21 November 2025, 10 am (GMT+0)
The third mission in Icelandic higher education
Speaker: Verena Karlsdóttir, Assistant Professor, University of Akureyri
Webinar link: Join the meeting now
As higher education institutions aim to demonstrate their societal relevance, this series explores the link between the third mission - societal engagement - and quality assurance frameworks. We will look at how HEIs integrate societal engagement into their educational, research, and innovation activities, supported by documented procedures for planning, delivery, and improvement. The series will also examine how QA systems address and foster the societal impact of higher education. Featuring both Icelandic and international speakers, the series offers opportunities for peer learning and sharing experiences from Iceland and abroad in embedding societal engagement within higher education quality systems.
Abstract: This presentation explores the evolving role of the Third Mission (TM) in Icelandic higher education which is the socio-economic engagement of universities beyond their traditional functions of teaching and research. In the context of a small higher education system, Icelandic universities have a distinctive potential to influence regional development and innovation through collaboration with industry, government, and civil society. TM activities encompass a broad range of initiatives, from entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer to sustainability projects, lifelong learning, and community partnerships. Together, these efforts reflect a growing awareness that universities serve as key agents of socio-economic progress and social cohesion.
In Iceland, as elsewhere in Europe, discussions about the TM have increasingly moved from conceptual understanding to questions of implementation, assessment, and strategic integration. How can universities make their societal contributions more visible, measurable, and aligned with institutional missions? What systems are needed to document and evaluate such engagement in a meaningful way? Addressing these questions requires a closer look at the governance structures, incentive systems, and cultural factors that shape the academic environment.
Drawing on insights from recent research, the presentation highlights both opportunities and challenges in embedding TM within institutional strategies and quality frameworks. These include limited funding and time resources, fragmented recognition and reward systems, and the absence of unified approaches for tracking societal impact. At the same time, there is a strong and growing willingness among Icelandic academics and administrators to strengthen external collaboration and to position TM more strongly within quality assurance and strategic planning.
Verena Karlsdóttir (verena@unak.is) is an Assistant Professor in the Business Department at the University of Akureyri (UNAK) and a Sessional Lecturer at Hochschule Osnabrück and the University of Iceland. She holds a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Iceland in 2023. Her teaching focuses on research methodology, management, and innovation. Verena’s research focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education, grit and motivation among university students, and the accessibility and engagement of distance education. In addition, she contributes to research on international education and development cooperation.
She serves on the committee of the annual Interdisciplinary European Conference on Entrepreneurship Research (IECER), which was hosted in Iceland this year, is a member of the Equality Board at UNAK, and editorial board member of the Journal of Arctic Tourism.