Abstract:

The last decade has seen a vast transformation in the role of universities across the globe resulting in a totally diverse higher education landscape. In the past, universities were known as the ivory towers. However, one of the emerging roles of universities to date lies in their growing interests in ‘Social Innovation’ (SI). SI is based on the concept of a synergic relationship between the academics, students, industries and communities in providing working solutions to the identified problems faced by the communities. Generally, SI projects are targeted at any of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) themes. European Commission recently funded a special 3-year project on SI through the Erasmus+ initiative. Several universities in four South-east Asia countries namely; Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar participated in the project. This paper explores the practices of SI in selected universities of the four participating countries. Employing a document analysis method, the investigation was based on the reports provided by the project participants from each country. Data in the form of descriptive narratives derived from each of the country’s reports were elicited in providing insights into the following themes within the research scope. The scope of the investigation includes the countries’ policies on ‘Social Innovation’, types of activities conducted, challenges and strategies, and impact on the communities. As Social Innovation may yet be an emerging trend in other organizations, this paper hopes to shed some light on how SI could be efficiently promoted and supported. Policymakers, top management and practitioners could benefit from this paper in their own attempt to initiate the promotion of Social Innovation in their respective organization.

Keywords:

Social Innovation, Sustainable Development Goals, Higher Education, South-east Asia.