University Educational and Research Strategies in the Third Mission for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64736/ueplc.2025.v8.n1.4Keywords:
universities, Sustainable development, higher education, environmental education, gender equality, researchAbstract
This case study examines how the Metropolitan University of Ecuador (UMET, Guayaquil campus) has advanced in the institutionalization of the Third Mission by aligning community projects with SDGs 3, 4, 5, 11, and 12. Using a descriptive-analytical design, the study combined documentary analysis of six projects (sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, values education, and recycling) with semi-structured interviews conducted with faculty members experienced in community engagement. The results highlight the active participation of students and faculty, the articulation of outreach with teaching and research, and the establishment of partnerships with schools, local governments, and organizations. Immediate outcomes included increased knowledge of sexual health, women’s empowerment and social reintegration, improvements in school coexistence, and behavioral changes in waste management. At the same time, limitations were observed regarding the long-term evaluation of social impact, the standardization of indicators, and the full curricular integration of community engagement, alongside some fragmentation across initiatives. The discussion places these findings within the international debate on universities and sustainability, emphasizing that relevance and legitimacy are reinforced when clear institutional policies, monitoring systems, and alignment with national public policies are in place. The study concludes that the Third Mission can function as a driver of social innovation and context-based professional training; it recommends strengthening governance, embedding outreach within the curriculum, and developing longitudinal metrics to assess community transformations.
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