“Recent academic research defines the social function of universities as extending beyond teaching and scientific research to include acting as a public good, an agent of social change, and a tool for sustainable development and social justice.”

UNESCO’s report states that higher education institutions “must be reconceived as commons and as public goods that contribute to ecological, cultural and social sustainability.” It emphasises that universities “have a vital role as agents of social change, advancing human rights, gender equality and social justice” and that their functions “go beyond teaching and research to engagement with communities, public policy and sustainable development agendas such as the SDGs.”

The article states that universities have expanded their roles: "Universities, traditionally known for their primary roles in teaching and research, have expanded their mission to encompass activities aimed at contributing to the economic and social development of the regions in which they operate. This additional focus is known as the Third Mission of universities." It further notes that the "social impact of the Third Mission remains a complex and ambiguous concept" and that the study identifies Third Mission activities within "Responsible Education, Knowledge Transfer, and Co‑creation" as mechanisms through which universities can "engage with society and create social impact" and promote "inclusive development."

The paper states that “higher education as a common good builds on the values that we collectively share, such as social justice and solidarity, and offers a promising vision for rethinking the role of universities in the twenty-first century.” It argues that universities are expected not only to teach and conduct research but also to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals by advancing social justice and sustainability agendas at local, national and global levels.

This conceptual paper advocates for the right to higher education (RTHE) by developing a framework that takes a social justice perspective on this issue. It highlights that higher education institutions have a social function that includes promoting equity, inclusion and social justice, and that universities are increasingly seen as key actors in advancing broader social change and development goals rather than solely providers of teaching and research.

APLU describes public research universities as institutions whose work “improves our collective understanding of the world around us, helps cure debilitating diseases, and fosters innovations that grow our economy.” It states that “public universities’ positive impact extends well beyond the confines of their campuses” and that “it is a core part of public universities’ mission to serve their communities,” including through community engagement and creating “innovation ecosystems” that advance economic opportunity, health and social well‑being.

The Academy report argues that “public research universities are anchors of stability and growth in their regions” and “are vital to economic development and the creative economy.” It explains that through “knowledge and technology transfer, business incubation and support, community outreach, and the education of about four million students per year, public research universities play myriad roles that together return billions of dollars in revenues.” The report frames these broader functions as part of how they “serve the public good,” going beyond traditional teaching and research.

Surveying policy and research debates, the article explains that the third mission encompasses a broad set of activities but highlights that there is no single agreed definition: "The notion of a ‘third mission’ has been used to denote activities of universities that reach beyond teaching and research, including technology transfer, regional engagement, and public outreach." However, the authors caution that "third mission is an umbrella term covering heterogeneous and sometimes conflicting expectations" and that some conceptualizations emphasise economic functions more strongly than social justice or sustainable development, indicating that not all academic frameworks define universities primarily as agents of social change.

The post states that “Universities, as a public good, prioritise the well-being of society over individual or commercial interests. They align their teaching, research and engagement activities with the broader needs of communities and the environment.” It further explains that universities can serve as “sites of social transformation” and contribute to addressing social inequalities and sustainability challenges through their public-good mission.

Reviewing the literature on the third mission, the author identifies "dominant and competing third mission discourses – one neo-liberal and one socially-oriented." The socially-oriented discourse views the third mission as focusing on "social accountability, community engagement, and addressing social inequities" and positions universities as actors that "contribute to social change and the public good". The thesis notes that this understanding extends universities’ purposes beyond teaching and research to include broader social responsibilities.

The chapter notes that "Public good is the social responsibility universities inherit as part of their obligation to the societies in which they operate" and argues that university social responsibility must include a social justice dimension. It describes universities as agents that should "promote equity, inclusion, and social transformation" and links their social function to contributing to sustainable development goals and broader social change.

Analyzing how universities frame their missions, the article notes that many institutions explicitly articulate social justice and social change roles. One example is Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, whose mission states it is "committed to cultivating diverse health professional leaders who are dedicated to social justice and health equity for underserved populations through outstanding education, research, clinical service, and community engagement." The study uses the CRLL model to see how leadership education and social justice education appear in mission statements, indicating an expansion of universities’ stated functions beyond teaching and research.

This article discusses the growing discourse of universities as "agents of social change" and partners in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It reports that many scholars and policy frameworks now describe universities’ social function as including community engagement, social innovation and the promotion of social justice, in addition to traditional teaching and research. The piece highlights examples of universities reorienting strategies around social impact and sustainable development.

In a widely cited essay on higher education and social movements, the author writes: "To borrow a term from social movement theory, universities can be 'movement halfway houses' that educate leaders for social justice." The piece argues that colleges and universities "should see their role as educating students not simply for private success but for public responsibility and social change," positioning higher education as a vehicle for social justice and public good beyond its instructional function.

The University of Maryland describes its Policy & Social Justice programs as preparing students "to make just contributions to a civilized society to meaningfully impact its development." It explains that students will learn concepts that help them contribute to "collaborative environments that encourage diverse politic, theoretical understanding and broadened perspectives that demonstrate humanity, equity, equality and justice." The language reflects an institutional view of higher education as oriented toward social justice and societal impact beyond traditional classroom teaching.

The review summarises the book’s premise that “publicly funded research is the cornerstone of the valuable social contributions of research universities.” It notes that the volume “explores how research universities contribute to the public good through economic development, innovation, and social problem‑solving.” While focused on research’s societal benefits, the review also highlights that the book “links the mission of research universities to broader public purposes beyond traditional teaching and discovery.”

Shiko Gathuo’s article examines how U.S. colleges and universities have engaged with controversial social issues and notes that “higher education institutions have historically played a role in movements for civil rights, gender equality, and other social justice causes.” The paper describes universities as “potentially powerful sites for social change,” but also cautions that this role is “contested and constrained by institutional and political factors,” suggesting that not all scholarship accepts an expanded social function as an established empirical fact.

The literature review describes the third mission as an expanded social and economic role: "Universities engaged in TM activities are becoming engines that contribute to the social, economic and cultural development of the regions in which they operate, by transferring knowledge and technologies to industry and to society at large." It also notes that "the TM refers to an extensive array of activities performed by higher education institutions which seek to transfer knowledge to society in general and to organizations, as well as to promote entrepreneurial skills, innovation, social welfare and the formation of human capital" and that a third mission implies "address[ing] issues of relevance to society, and [...] contribut[ing] to innovation and social change."

Discussing Swedish higher education policy, the author quotes section 5 of the Swedish Higher Education Act: “higher education institutions shall promote sustainable development to assure for present and future generations a sound and healthy environment, economic and social welfare, and justice.” He notes that universities are encouraged to integrate sustainable development awareness into their courses but warns that “sustainable development could easily become yet another trojan horse for more woke social justice indoctrination in higher education.” The piece questions whether this expanded social and sustainability role is appropriate for universities.

Recent higher education literature, especially since the adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda, frequently describes universities as public-good institutions and as key actors in promoting sustainable development and social justice. Concepts such as the ‘civic university’, ‘engaged university’ and ‘higher education as a common/public good’ are commonly used to argue that the social function of universities extends beyond teaching and research to include contributing to social change, equity and sustainability.