Reports Database:
Social Value at Universities: Policy and Practice Guidance

Universities globally can be major hubs of social and economic activity which drive change in society. We know that they can create multiple and diverse routes into employment, can have significant purchasing power which can inform standards across supply chains, can create learning opportunities which directly nourish and enrich local communities, and can deliver research and innovation which impact health for the better.

However, the measurable difference these make to lives – and how universities and the funding bodies account for this impact – is still unknown. We created the Global Symposia for Social Value at Universities in 2022, as a way to accelerate the movement. Over 130 joined from 12 countries to contribute to the analysis, from different disciplines such as health, arts, environmental sciences, alongside private, public and third sector stakeholders.

There were two symposiums. The first was related to understanding policy and practice across disciplines at universities; the second was focused on one of the biggest sectors, business and management studies.
This report presents the findings from both symposiums from the perspective of different stakeholders:

1. what is currently being done that is valued
2. recommendations for improvement

The Global Symposia at Universities 2022 was co-hosted between Social Value UK and Liverpool John Moores University, the British Academy of Management (Sustainable and Responsible Business SIG), Principles for Responsible Management Education (Working Group on Poverty), University Vocational Awards Council, Social Value International, The Academy of Business in Society, American International Accreditation Association for Schools and Colleges, and the National Society for Experiential Education.

Supported by Liverpool John Moores University’s Quality Research Funds.