Annual Quality Board Conference on Societal Engagement in Higher Education

Date: 7 May at 13.00 – 16.30 
Location: Edda – the House of Icelandic 
Registration deadline: 6 May at 12:00, please register here 
Conference language: English

Societal engagement is a broad and complex area and the precise form that societal engagement takes is likely to vary greatly between higher education institutions. Strategically it encompasses the ways in which the institution ensures that its core activities of research and teaching connect to societal need and benefit at various levels, and result in opportunity or benefit for individuals, businesses, communities and wider society.  
 
Societal engagement may relate to education and skills development, knowledge exchange and support for businesses or industry, cultural issues or identity, well-being, research which generates new knowledge and understanding, the creation of new technologies, active participation in regional development, or societal reform.   
 
The conference will stimulate discussion around this wide-ranging topic, including:  
- the current societal needs that academia can address,  
- the forms that societal engagement can take,  
- the range of benefits that effective societal engagement can bring to different groups or individuals and to universities,  
- linking societal engagement with the quality assurance and enhancement of core academic activities.   
 
Draft programme 
13.00-13.05 Opening words, by Crichton Lang, IAQA Board Chair 
13.05-13.25 Quality Enhancement Framework 2024-2029 (QEF3) by Crichton Lang, IAQA Board Chair
13.25-13.45 External perspective on the QEF by Achim Hopbach, external evaluator for IAQA  
13.45-14.00 Questions and discussions on QEF3  
14.00-14.20 Break 
14.20-14.50 Higher Education's Value Proposition for Societal Impact by Elsa Núñez, President of Eastern Connecticut State University and IAQA Board Member
14.50-15.20 Societal engagement: experiences and considerations from a Scottish perspective by Andrea Nolan, Principle & Vice Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University and IAQA Board member
15.20-15.50 Breakout session: 3-4 discussion groups 
15.50-16.30 Reporting from the discussion groups and plenary discussion 
16.30-17.30 Social drinks 

Posted on 15 Mar 2024.