Abstract
Seen from the point of view of inclusiveness and social innovation, having access to new knowledge and learning is the key issue, but not the only relevant. The teaching and learning model influences the conditions for inclusive development to a high degree. It is argued that especially problem-based learning (PBL) can be an efficient tool to engage students (including first-generation academics) in higher education and stimulate collaboration with external partners—including SMEs and non-favoured citizens and regions. Universities are increasingly recognised as important drivers for innovation and sustainable development, and they are expected to play a crucial role in both the policy formulation and its implementation. This chapter discusses how these ‘new’ views on the role of contemporary universities may influence some of the current issues related to inclusive development and social innovation in a Danish context and finally current challenges that Danish universities face in their efforts to play an active role for inclusive development and social innovation are discussed.
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Notes
- 1.
With a Gini coefficient at 0.249, Denmark was in 2012 ranked as the most equal country among OECD countries (OECD 2015).
- 2.
OECD enrolment statistics takes the point of departure in actual enrolment rates for 20–29 years, while the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science uses a so-called profile model that calculates what level of education a 9th-grade cohort of students is expected to have in 25 years if they have the same study behavior (completion rate, propensity to continue education) as prevailing for the whole group of students in the year of forecast.
- 3.
Since 2006 tuition fees are introduced for non-European students. In order to compensate a few scholarships are allocated to each university to distribute to students from low-income countries.
- 4.
According to OECD, Denmark ranks third with Australia and Japan with higher completion rate that is 81 % and 90 %, respectively. It is interesting to notice that among countries with the lowest completion rate are Sweden and the USA (OECD, Education at a Glance 2013).
- 5.
For an overview of various initiatives to help persons with special needs in the Danish educational system, see https://www.european-agency.org/country-information/denmark/national-overview/complete-national-overview.
- 6.
In 2012 the figures were 69.2 % of the young Danish females and 54.9 % of the young men were expected to complete a higher education degree. For non-Danish ethnic group the figures were 66.2 % and 52.4 %, respectively (Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science 2014a).
- 7.
See http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/science4refugees for more information.
- 8.
Participation rate (25–64-year-olds) in formal and/or non-formal education (2012): Finland 66, Denmark 66, Sweden 66, Norway 64, the Netherlands 64, OECD average 51 (OECD 2014).
- 9.
See Chap. 3 by Arocena and Sutz for elaboration of the ‘Developmental University’.
- 10.
For further description of the nine institutions and their activities, see http://en.gts-net.dk/gts-institutes/.
- 11.
Following Korea, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Japan, Denmark is among the few OECD countries that have reached the so-called Lisbon target with total R&D spending on at least 3 % of GDP (2 % private and 1 % public).
- 12.
In a developing context the term ‘inclusive innovation’ normally refers to innovation for the poor as well as by the poor (Johnson and Andersen 2012).
- 13.
For instance ‘The Social Capital Fund’ established in 2011 by the Danish foundation ‘Trygfonden’.
- 14.
The access2innovation network was established in 2007 by the departments of Development and Planning and Energy Technology at Aalborg University, DanChurchAid, North Denmark EU-Office, South Denmark European Office and Confederation of Danish Industry (DI). Later, more Danish universities and other partners have joined the network. See http://www.access2innovation.com/ for further information about the network activities.
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Gregersen, B. (2017). Role of Universities for Inclusive Development and Social Innovation: Experiences from Denmark. In: Brundenius, C., Göransson, B., Carvalho de Mello, J. (eds) Universities, Inclusive Development and Social Innovation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43700-2_15
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