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Short abstract:

A flourishing expression of social innovation in academia is through knowledge exchange. While its social value is undoubtable, the metrics to assess this are often contested if not absent. This paper explores the KE evaluation frameworks and proposes a new approach for social impact assessment.

Long abstract:

Teaching, research and knowledge exchange (KE) are three key missions of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The last one involves infrastructures, support mechanisms and collaborative processes between universities and non-academic partners aiming to deliver economic and societal impact. While the economic value of technology transfer activities such as licensing or spin-offs is relatively well defined, the social value of these innovations is hardly measured.

Furthermore, KE practices also include academic activities for social impact whose visibility might be hindered owing to the lack of accountability and measurement conventions (Desrosières, 2010; Espeland & Sauder, 2007; Power, 2013). Academic initiatives such as advisory work for policy making, social ventures, consultancy or entrepreneurial initiatives with local communities are manifestations of social innovation for regenerative development and integral part of academic citizenship for faculty members and students, yet the metrics that might provide evidence of their value are highly contested. (Mawson, 2023; Perkmann et al., 2021; Pitt et al., 2023)

Notwithstanding, the potential of KE to contribute to sustainable development has prompted national governments to support KE with funding and public policy. Over the past 30 years specific evaluation frameworks have been developed accordingly (Ulrichsen, 2023; Ulrichsen et al., 2023; Ulrichsen & Moore, 2014). This presentation aims, firstly, to review KE evaluation frameworks for academic engagement. Secondly, drawing on previous research on meaningful measurement (Ramirez, 2023) an innovative approach to developing metrics for the social innovations will be proposed and, thirdly, this framework will be applied to a specific study case in the KE field.