Survey of the Hungarian literature on the third mission activities of regional universities: the effects of knowledge transfer towards regional society A magyar szakirodalom áttekintése

Abstract

This study intends to provide an overview of the most important concepts and phenomena of contemporary Hungarian higher education research as related to the author’s PhD research area. This concerns those third mission activities of regional universities that are directed towards their local-regional society with the aim of greater community engagement and various institutional aims. Therefore, the study first defines the concept of the third mission, the reasons for its contemporary importance, the models of the Quadruple and Quintuple Helixes as its operational framework, as well as the concepts of the entrepreneurial university and the engaged university. This is followed by a detailed discussion on university social responsibility (USR), its phenomenon and various forms of realization in the three university functions, which reveals that social commitment and engagement should be understood both inside and over the third mission. Then a short description of the recent third mission-USR activities of some Hungarian regional universities is provided. Next, the possibilities and limitations of measuring the impact of such activities are discussed based on the results of relevant Hungarian research. Finally, possible difficulties and further research areas are suggested. The study reveals the commitment of Hungarian regional universities to their local society, however, their wide range of community engagement activities can be made sustainable only by their institutionalization, firm financial and human resources background, ongoing and active communication with all stakeholders, as well as the measurement and feedback of its results. Thus universities may become firmly embedded in the future of their society.