Cultural Change Towards Engaged and Entrepreneurial Universities

By implementing the Time4UNIchange project, our primary objective was to equip HEIs, particularly their leadership and professional staff, with the necessary tools and guidelines to foster cultura...

By implementing the Time4UNIchange project, our primary objective was to equip HEIs, particularly their leadership and professional staff, with the necessary tools and guidelines to foster cultural change among academics. We aimed to create a supportive environment that promotes a more positive attitude towards external engagement and entrepreneurial activities. Our goals included: Conducting Research: We analysed the needs and perceptions of academics regarding entrepreneurialism and external engagement. This included reviewing change management concepts suitable for universities and identifying best practices for awareness-raising and cultural change. Developing and Validating a Toolkit: Based on our research, we have developed a comprehensive toolkit for nurturing cultural change towards engaged and entrepreneurial universities. This toolkit includes strategy guides and a collection of tools focused on raising awareness, enhancing communication, incentivisation and rewards, and navigating the support environment. We have conducted a validation expert roundtable and collected feedback in partner universities to improve the toolkit and collect insights on its effective utilisation and promotion across the HEI sector.