This text has been translated from Norwegian with the assistance of GPT UiO.
In a world characterised by rapid and significant changes — from the nature and climate crises to increasing social inequalities, polarisation, and technological upheavals — we face an ever more complex and challenging reality. Addressing global crises requires new solutions, and there is a clear expectation from both ourselves and society that we, as researchers and academics, contribute. Social innovation represents an answer to these challenges.
When discussing innovation, it can be helpful to distinguish between innovation often associated with commercialisation on the one hand, and what we at UiO refer to as social innovation on the other hand. The former is typically linked with economic incentives, patents, company formation, products, and services designed to meet a market demand. Historically, there have been few projects of this type at our faculty. However, a growing interest in establishing companies and pursuing an innovation path has shown that we must be equipped to handle legal, research ethical, and personnel issues that can arise in the borderland between research and commercialisation.
Social innovation, on the other hand, describes the innovation processes within parts of society with uncertain prospects for return and access to capital. It involves developing new ways of thinking, organizational forms, and actions, with a focus on social, cultural, political, and environmental dimensions. Key characteristics include problem-solving with a focus on societal needs and collaboration between actors with a shared ambition to create long-term and sustainable changes.
Highlighting the value of research
With tighter finances and stricter priorities across the public sector, we must be prepared for stronger competition, perhaps particularly from other sectors such as health and defence, but also from other parts of the knowledge sector. Here, the value of our research will be an important argument. For our faculty, this is primarily a communication challenge. The societal relevance of our research is obvious, and researchers at the faculty already make significant efforts to contribute to social change and innovation.
To meet society's expectations for solutions, however, we can nonetheless improve our efforts to highlight and clarify the value and relevance to authorities, decision-makers, and society at large. This is underscored by the emphasis societal relevance has gained in national evaluations of subjects and topics, where the actual contribution and use of research must be described through impact cases. Thankfully, there are many examples of the impact of social science and psychological research.
As an example, to make informed decisions, our politicians need to know how the organisation of the tax system and welfare programmes affects employment rates and the use of welfare services. Researchers at the faculty, in cooperation with authorities, are conducting an innovative experiment to test how tax levels impact labour participation. This knowledge may have direct implications for policy design and the country's economy. This represents social innovation in practice.
Several of our leading researchers work on topics related to security, war, extremism, and conflicts, highly relevant in the current world situation of increasing polarisation. The faculty also has leading researchers in topics related to democratic processes and trends, the relationship between Norway and the EU, how sentencing affects societal participation, and cultural knowledge and understanding in an increasingly complex world.
The transition to a more sustainable society requires substantial social science research, as the current barriers to a greener society are not primarily technological or scientific in nature. Here, several of our strongest research environments contribute.
Prevention and treatment of mental health issues, especially among children and adolescents, are unfortunately more relevant than ever. Many researchers at our faculty work to find solutions that can make both diagnosis and treatment more targeted and effective. If this knowledge is applied, it will be a welcome contribution to a pressured healthcare system. Equally important in this context is research on preventing mental illness and social exclusion, for instance through targeted design of neighbourhoods, kindergartens, and schools that create safe and nurturing environments for children and robust foundations for education and participation in society. Research on how societal factors affect brain development and ageing also has significant impact on policy development.
At our faculty, relations with the world outside academia are already well developed, often through the researchers themselves. They frequently contribute as experts in policy-making and governance, civil society and education, they are visible in the media landscape on a daily basis and participate in public advisory committees. All this gives them the opportunity to make a real difference. We also collaborate closely with healthcare institutions and the institute sector, which perform vital tasks in the research system, often focusing on the application of knowledge towards specific target groups.
We educate the next generation of academics and professionals for large parts of the labour market, including public administration, management, and healthcare. This is a direct transfer of theoretical and methodological knowledge that adds value to society. There is also significant innovation activity among our students, and there is reported great interest among students to engage in work that is perceived to have a direct impact on society. UiO should actively pursue efforts to foster and encourage this type of activity.
The value of basic research and the balance between societal needs and curiosity
It is often argued that UiO's primary task is to maintain and cultivate the role as a research-intensive university with a focus on free and curiosity-driven research, both theoretical and empirical. We have a responsibility to promote the value of long-term and fundamental research in society. In a world increasingly demanding immediate impact, we must emphasize that the value of research should not be assessed solely on short-term and immediately measurable results. We must ensure a balanced approach between society's expectations of usefulness and the long-term value of basic research. Although it is often claimed that knowledge has intrinsic value (knowledge for the sake of knowledge), this perspective may prove insufficient when compared to specific needs for solutions to pressing societal challenges. It is therefore important to integrate both approaches to meet the needs of society in a comprehensive way.
Basic research has been the source of the most significant discoveries in history, from antibiotics to computer technology. Such examples show how important it is to preserve and strengthen a culture and infrastructure for basic research and remind us that the most valuable discoveries and solutions can arise when we create spaces for creative exploration. As part of the effort to find solutions to society's challenges, we must defend, promote, and communicate the value of fundamental and long-term research, not just as an academic exercise, but as an important component in the development of a society seeking creative, durable, and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges. Through dialogue and cooperation, we can support an effective division of labour among the different actors in the research system, ensuring that our knowledge is put to use.
The faculty's role in innovation
The UiO's action plan for innovation specifies the university's ambition to strengthen the ability and motivation to engage in innovation among employees and students so their knowledge can be used to solve societal problems. Former Research Dean Tore Nilssen contributed a clear voice for enhancing the place of social innovation at UiO. The faculty plays an important role in facilitating innovation activities, and we have a responsibility to contribute to an innovation culture at the university. SPARK Social Innovation is designed to support researchers wishing to bring their ideas to society. It was highly inspiring to participate in the launch of new projects this spring, which simultaneously marked the TIK Centre's takeover of the programme's coordination. Several researchers and research groups at the faculty have received support from SPARK Social Innovation, but there is room for increased activity and diversity in the project portfolio. We need insights and case studies from more projects that have successfully navigated the entire innovation process, from the conception of an idea to implementation.
Innovation work at the Faculty of Social Sciences is firmly integrated in the faculty's annual plan. Many staff members are already leading the way as key contributors to social innovation. The new column in SV News Innovation and impact will showcase how researchers have enhanced the impact of their work beyond academia, sharing their insights and experiences throughout the process. We look forward to being inspired by our colleagues' experiences!