This article reflects on recent calls for universities to deepen their commitments to sustainability in the face of climate change. It suggests that because climate change is a "wicked problem" that is hyper-complex, lacks clear solutions, and affects multiple communities in different ways, universities are unlikely to achieve consensus…

This ethnographic dissertation research project focuses on a digital storytelling workshop called Food/Stories which took place in collaboration with Black Yield Institute in Spring of 2023. The Food/Stories workshop is the case study that I used to explore the effectiveness of Collaborative Visual Storytelling, a methodological approach that…

By using the feminist imaginary as a pedagogical tool for resistance and change, an experience of activism within the university context in Naples, Italy is explored. The article focuses on the potential transformative power of art as catalysis for deeper level emotional and spiritual learning transformation. The aim is trying to inspire critical…

In recent years, new expectations have been placed on universities, demanding academic contributions towards solving large-scale, interdisciplinary challenges. This is in conflict with existing insights from university governance research, which emphasises that scientific communities focus on reproducing disciplinary practices that are unsuitable…

The secondary teacher training curriculum at the College of Literature of Tokyo Imperial University in early twentieth-century Japan made pedagogy-related subjects compulsory. Kumaji Yoshida, the leader of the institutionalisation of pedagogy at Tokyo Imperial University at the time, considered scientific research in pedagogy essential for the…

Discussions about the role of universities have long been framed in terms of questions of what is good for the public, as well as how and whether higher education serves that good. Today, the language of 'societal impact' has become an accepted way for policymakers to frame the matter, but just who is included in the underlying definition of…

This article provides a panoramic analysis of the historical process of the emergence of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and their role as mediators of medieval knowledge, which later also exerted significant influence as they reshaped themselves for the consolidation of national states and modern Western scientific culture. In Brazil, unlike…

As part of a broader investigation into the experiences of women English teachers in Iran, this study delves into how their identities are shaped by English language learning and teaching experiences. Employing qualitative interviews and thematic analysis, the research reveals the significant role of immersion in the English language and exposure…

Cyberattacks pose a significant threat to university institutions as universities increasingly rely on computer networks to conduct day-to-day business activities. University information technology (IT) leaders are concerned about the increasing level of cyberattacks because these attacks can result in the loss of sensitive data, identity theft,…

Despite efforts to foster a more equitable gender representation, Australia's higher education sector and workforce continue to be highly segregated. This article focusses on the gendered experiences of first-in-family (FIF) students--many who are from low-socioeconomic communities--transitioning to Australian universities. In terms of the…

The case study profiles the Aiku Centre at Ca' Foscari University in Venice, Italy, suggesting its role as a contemporary higher education institution committed to fulfilling its 'third mission' and addressing broader societal challenges. The Aiku Centre integrates artistic interventions with academic research and organizational practices,…

Kent State University (KSU) has been associated with campus activism history since May 4, 1970. Using a case study approach, we interrogated if and how KSU student affairs administrators' approach to activism has changed in the intervening decades and how the legacy of the shootings informed their practice during the Black Lives Matters protests…

Existing scholarship tends to understand university governance structurally (emphasizing formal authority and resource environments), culturally (focusing on history, norms, and leadership), or by combining both approaches (Kezar & Eckel, 2004). These models understand governance in instrumental terms, as the means for steering the university.…

Universities across the globe are transforming or upgrading their campus infrastructure to prepare students for the work in the 21st century. Such campus transformations can be important in various ways. For example, universities can introduce innovative learning spaces that support recruitment and enrollment policies on campus. Even though the…

Globally, the issue of research impact has grown as governments articulate policies around research as a contributor to economic and societal development, often through an econometric justification. This has triggered much discussion amongst humanities scholars in public formally-reasoned peer-reviewed texts that are rarely empirically-based. This…