Позитивные изменения. Том 3, № 3 (2023). Positive changes. Volume 3, Issue 3 (2023)

THE GLOBAL TREND

Speaking about the third mission, it is best to start with the origin of the term. The evolution of the role of universities in society and the aspiration to establish a more “socially oriented university” underpins the history of this concept (Shek & Hollister, 2017). Emerging during the latter half of the 20th century, the term was coined to reflect the expansion of universities’ functions beyond education and academic knowledge (Kudryashova & Sorokin, 2019). “Third Mission Indicators for New Ranking Methodologies” by M. Marhl and A. Pausist is considered to be the classic work on this topic, in which the third mission is defined as “a collection of specific services based on actions and opportunities that serve the public good” (Marhl & Pausist, 2013). In contemporary practice, the third mission is usually associated with such aspects of university activities as technology transfer, engagement with businesses, developing and implementing innovations in the social sphere, partnerships with local communities and authorities to achieve public good (Kudryashova, Sorokin & Bugaenko, 2020).

Indeed, a universally accepted definition of the third mission is yet to be formulated, thereby affording ample scope for scholarly deliberation (Kudryashova & Sorokin, 2020).[64]

The quest for avenues to comprehend and implement the third mission of universities is a global trend. However, its local contextual nuances are largely shaped by the distinctive attributes of each university, the influence of the state on education, the level of entrepreneurial development in the country, and other factors (Balmasova, 2015).

Russian scholars introduced the term third mission into academic discourse in the 2010s. Various definitions of the term, along with divergent perspectives on the concept, are presented in works by O. V. Perfilieva (2011), N. A. Medushevsky (2016), I. V. Golovko (2018), and others.

Presently, it can be observed that the discourse surrounding the third mission in Russia has transcended the confines of a narrowly specialized scientific field and taken on the nature of a wide-ranging public discussion. The topic is now on everyone’s lips — from ministers and rectors of prominent universities to entrepreneurs, journalists, and, naturally, representatives of the third sector of the economy — managers and personnel of non-profit organizations.