02-27-2025

Focusing on Service-Learning and Third Mission: International conference launched at the KU

Together with the Social Impact Start-up Academy (SISTAC), the KU opened the Uniservitate conference "Service-Learning Meets Business Education: Strategies for Effective Integration and Competency Development" in Ingolstadt yesterday. Numerous representatives of Catholic universities from all over the world attended. The event offered the opportunity to continue discussions that were started at the Uniservitate symposium in Rome and thus to further develop the Third Mission – the social responsibility of universities – together.

In her opening speech, KU President Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gien emphasized that knowledge transfer as part of the Third Mission is almost equivalent to a First Mission for Catholic universities, as the idea of service learning is deeply rooted in their DNA. According to Gien, the KU is exemplary for the combination of academic studies and commitment to the common good.

Regular cooperation between the KU and partners from the social, cultural, sporting, ecological and educational sectors ensures a mutual exchange of know-how and expertise. It is therefore a particular pleasure for Prof. Dr. Gien that the KU is one of seven global network hubs in the international service learning project Uniservitate for the dissemination and promotion of service learning at Catholic universities – and is hosting the current conference within this framework. Experts from the KU will also be able to provide insights into their research work, including the co-organizer of the conference, Prof. Dr. André Habisch. Together with Eva Wack (Managing Director of SISTAC), he gave a keynote speech on the promotion of an entrepreneurial mindset and the development of the key skills required for this.

María Rosa Tapia, Program Coordinator of Uniservitate Argentina, emphasized the importance of knowledge transfer at eye level in her welcoming remarks: You often learn the most from people you least expect it from. She also announced another important step in the expansion of the service-learning concept: the Global Uniservitate Symposium, which will also be held at the KU in November this year.

Sustainability at KU

The KU has set itself the goal of integrating, living and continuously developing sustainability as an integral part of all areas of university life, teaching and research. In this context, the KU has a vision for a sustainable future: Ecological and social responsibility should go hand in hand for developing sustainable solutions that have a local and global impact. As a committed university, the KU therefore works closely with a wide range of partners in all areas of society and the economy. In its role as a pioneer, it also wants to be a role model and initiator for the successful implementation of the sustainability goals.

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