Transcript Opening Remarks: SSH contributions to a Competitive Europe – Creativity & Culture Professor Ellen Hazelkorn Achieving Impact International Conference & Brokerage Event 25-27 February 2014 Athens www.dit.ie/researchandenterprise.

Opening Remarks: SSH contributions
to a Competitive Europe –
Creativity & Culture
Professor Ellen Hazelkorn
Achieving Impact International Conference & Brokerage Event
25-27 February 2014
Athens
www.dit.ie/researchandenterprise
Re-conceptualising “Impact”
• Role of higher education and university-based research as the “engine” of
social and economic growth and prosperity has led to significant changes
in priorities, funding and practices:
– Social contract: funding provided as long as there are usable outputs;
– Engaged Scholarship: on basis that research does not exist in isolation;
– Democratisation of knowledge: greater public accessibility and
transparency of scientific communication;
− Quality: in a globalised world, quality is a key determinant of
competitive advantage.
− New emphasis throws down gauntlet for AHSS.
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Demonstrating Impact
• Research impact is a demonstrated influence (LSE, 2011):
– Academic impacts: influences upon actors in academia or universities,
– External impacts: influences on actors outside HE on business,
government or civil society.
• Once research is seen to have value, impact and benefit beyond the
academy, then what is measured, how and by who changes.
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Challenge for the AHSS
• How should AHSS respond to this new policy regime and public discourse?
– Does it ignore the new demands or should it engage?
– Does it argue a disciplinary exceptionalism or should the “same rules”
apply?
– How can AHSS demonstrate value, impact and benefit?
– What can be learned about how the “sciences” have positioned
themselves?
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What is to be done?
• No more exceptionalism; AHSS has much greater commonality with other
disciplines;
• Take ownership of the challenges and responsibility for telling technology
developers what is required;
• Peer-review no longer sole method by which research is assessed;
• End-user or stakeholder esteem is vital component;
• Grey matter important: broader range of indicators and methodologies
required;
• Informing the public about the value of AHSS research helps increase
support for AHSS.
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Research Outputs/Impact
• Journal articles
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Peer Esteem
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Impact on Teaching
Improved Productivity, Reduced
Costs
Improvements on environment and
lifestyle
Improving people’s health and
quality of life
Increased employment
Informed public debate
New approaches to social issues
New curriculum
Patents, Licenses
Policy change
Social innovation
Stakeholder esteem
Stimulating creativity
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Book chapters
Computer software and databases
Conference publications
Editing of major works
Legal cases, maps
Major art works
Major works in production or
exhibition and/or award-winning
design
Patents or plant breeding rights
Policy documents or brief
Research or technical reports
Technical drawings, designs or
working models
Translations
Visual recordings
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Today’s Session
• Overarching issues to be addressed:
– Impact from end-users’ viewpoint (benefitting from impact) and
researchers’ (achieving impact);
– Interdisciplinarity;
– Integrating the international dimension;
– Comparative research approach and underlining its added value.
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Introduction: Prof Sean Ryder, Ireland
3 Case Studies
World Café Discussion – 7 groups with c. 15 people; number on entry
Final Plenary
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