Social innovation was celebrated during last year’s Harvard College Innovation Challenge. The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the i-Lab are working to expand Harvard’s support in this area. (File photo by Jon Chase, Harvard News Office.)
Leaders from Harvard University, York University, and the University of Oxford met on March 4 and 5 to articulate a shared vision of the role of higher education institutions in supporting social innovation and social enterprise. The three universities explored their different models of institutional support for social innovation that promises to find solutions to the world's most pressing social, environmental and economic challenges. Hosted by the Canadian High Commission in London, England, they were joined by the British High Commission (Canada), Young Foundation (UK), the Economic and Social Research Council (UK), the McConnell Family Foundation (Canada), and Social Innovation Generation (Canada). Universities play an integral role in the intellectual, cultural, and economic development of their surrounding regions. In addition to producing new knowledge and talented graduates, universities contribute to innovation, productivity and prosperity through technology transfer and commercialization. However, the role of the university in the growing areas of social innovation and social entrepreneurship is still emerging. Will Norman, Director of Research at the Young Foundation said, "Some faculty members and students have been active in helping find solutions to pressing social and environmental challenges; however, universities are not making the most of this potential.
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