Is the global reporting initiative suitable to account for university social responsibility? Evidence from European institutions

[EN] Purpose – Recognising the importance of universities in the achievement of social and global objectives, this paper aims to study the relevance of the global reporting initiative (GRI) methodology for reporting University Social Responsibility (USR) activities, taking into account the specificity of higher education institutions (HEI). Design/methodology/approach – After a review of the literature and background, the European HEI reports prepared according to the latest version of GRI standards are selected and a comparative study is carried out. The analysis focusses on comparing to what extent the standards are responding to the information needs generated in the field of higher education. Findings – General issues, common to all types of organisations, are adequately reported by HEIs, but difficulties are encountered in integrating a vision that incorporates the role of their missions in standards related to economic, social and environmental aspects. Research limitations/implications – There are few GRI reports with this format and further research is encouraged as the number of reports increase. So far, major limitations have been found by HEIs to account for their societal missions when using the GRI. Practical implications – The debates on USR are promoting an increase in the number of reports on sustainability. This paper provides some examples of the use of disclosures that can be adapted in this context, to move towards the systematisation of these practices. Originality/value – This is, to the authors’ knowledge, the first comparative study on the application of GRI to sustainability reports at a European level, focussing on the adequacy between disclosures and missions

Reporting the Social Value Generated by European Universities for Stakeholders: Applicability of the Global Reporting Initiative Model

Universities are increasingly being asked to contribute to addressing the significant local and global challenges, such as those identified in the 2030 Agenda. Set in this framework, universities need to account for the social value they generate through their activities, particularly from the perspective of their contribution to different stakeholders. This approach requires, first of all, that the main stakeholders are identified. Relationship and dialogue mechanisms then need to be established which can help guide universities to choose activities which can better meet the needs of their stakeholders. The current paper analyses the potential of integrated reports, and triple bottom line reports, as an instrument for reporting on aspects that go beyond the financial sphere, including economic, social and environmental aspects. Specifically, the paper focuses on studying the viability of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) for reporting the value that European universities generate for their stakeholders. The results show, firstly, that the universities in the sample do not sufficiently address these questions in their reports. Internal stakeholders are prominent in their reports, with the interaction between them and the universities being generally unidirectional. References to value generated are limited, and usually refer to the economic value. However, some examples of good practices are identified that could be used to improve standards of reporting, especially in universities committed to integrated reporting initiatives, in order to better reflect the social value.This research was funded by University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) US20/11

Deliverable D2.1 - Ecosystem analysis and 6G-SANDBOX facility design

This document provides a comprehensive overview of the core aspects of the 6G-SANDBOX project. It outlines the project's vision, objectives, and the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Value Indicators (KVIs) targeted for achievement. The functional and non-functional requirements of the 6G-SANDBOX Facility are extensively presented, based on a proposed reference blueprint. A detailed description of the updated reference architecture of the facility is provided, considering the requirements outlined. The document explores the experimentation framework, including the lifecycle of experiments and the methodology for validating KPIs and KVIs. It presents the key technologies and use case enablers towards 6G that will be offered within the trial networks. Each of the platforms constituting the 6G-SANDBOX Facility is described, along with the necessary enhancements to align them with the project's vision in terms of hardware, software updates, and functional improvements

La Educación para el Desarrollo bajo la perspectiva de ciudadanía global en la práctica docente universitaria: experiencia en un campus tecnológico

The university is a natural space to generate attitudes of global citizenship in all its members. The traditional functions of University perfectly fit in the dimensions of an emancipating development education. The European Higher Education Area offers an especially favourable environment by establishing ethical transversal competences. Nevertheless, different objectives and characteristics of multiple stakeholders cause practical difficulties. Our experience in a technology campus (university academic activities with the support of an NGDO) reveals successes, problems and proposals for improvementLa Universidad es un espacio natural para generar actitudes de ciudadanía global en todos sus miembros. Las funciones tradicionales de la Universidad encajan a la perfección en las dimensiones de una Educación para el Desarrollo emancipadora. El Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior propone un entorno especialmente favorable en este sentido al establecer competencias éticas transversales. No obstante, las diferencias de objetivos y características entre los múltiples agentes involucrados dan lugar a dificultades prácticas. La experiencia en un campus tecnológico que mostramos (actividades académicas universitarias apoyadas en una ONGD) pone de relevancia éxitos, problemas y propuestas de mejor

Revista electrónica interuniversitaria de formación del profesorado

Monográfico con el título: 'La Educación para el Desarrollo ante las desigualdades del siglo XXI'. Resumen basado en el de la publicaciónLa Universidad es un espacio natural para generar actitudes de ciudadanía global en todos sus miembros. Las funciones tradicionales de la Universidad encajan a la perfección en las dimensiones de una Educación para el Desarrollo emancipadora. El Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) propone un entorno especialmente favorable en este sentido al establecer competencias éticas transversales. No obstante, las diferencias de objetivos y características entre los múltiples agentes involucrados dan lugar a dificultades prácticas. La experiencia en un campus tecnológico que se muestra, y que incluye actividades académicas universitarias apoyadas en una ONGD (Organización No Gubernamental para el Desarrollo), pone en relevancia éxitos, problemas y propuestas de mejora.AragónES