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Social Innovation: the concept, the practice, the place
in higher education in the Age of Sustainability
Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
President
Social Innovation: challenges and
perspectives for Higher Education
Montreal, Canada - 7 & 8 May 2015
(towards Post-2015 Development Agenda)

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The context: ‘sustainability’
Sustainability is to meet the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.
- Report of the World Commission on Environment
and Development: Our Common Future
Transmitted to the General Assembly as an Annex to
document A/42/427 - Development and International
Co-operation: Environment

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Sustainability is improving the quality of
human life while living within the carrying
capacity of the Earth’s supporting
eco-systems.
- The Union of Conservation Scientists (IUCN),
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
The context: ‘sustainability’

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Hierarchical, Rigid, Me,
Competition, Unsustainable,
Red Ocean, Dead
Networked, Flexible, Us,
Collaboration, Sustainable,
Blue Ocean, Living
Social Innovation
The context: ‘sustainability’
Balanced

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Economy
(prosperity)
Social
(politics)
Ecology
(planet)
Cultural
(people)
The place in HE: 4Ps

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Social
(policy)
Ecology
(planet)
Cultural
(people)
In reality – 1P+ 3Ps
“Old” Economy
(profit$)
escalating cost
of education
(reducing
access)

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• Here & now!
• Consume
• 4Ws: Want! Waste! Want more! Waste more!
• Maintain - status quo
• Incremental
• Individual-focused
• Learning
Sustainable
 Future-oriented
 Conserve/Preserve
 4Rs: Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, Recycle
 Challenge - status quo
 Transformational
 Community-focused
 Un-, Re-, Co-learning
UNSustainable
to reduce the
“imbalances”
and “tensions”
 Relationship
Collaborative
Social Innovation
The practice

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Unsustainable
5 planets model
uahcmer.com
Social Innovation
Policy Goals
www.gograph.com
Sustainable
1 planet ,odel

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PlatformforSocialInnovation
The concept

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• Everything must be done in order to reunite
these two artificially antagonistic cultures –
scientific culture and literary for a new
transdisciplinary culture, the preliminary
condition for a transformation of mentalities.
B Nicolsecu (1997)
The Transdisciplinary Evolution of the University:
Instilling complex and transdisciplinary
thought into the structures and programs
of the University will permit its evolution
towards its somewhat forgotten mission
today – the study of the universal.
PlatformforSocialInnovation

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Convergence of Knowledge
for Higher (Social) Purpose
Discipline separated (siloed)
giving disjointed meaning
Knowledge nominally
interrelated
Overlapping knowledge but
largely still separate
“Unified” discipline to give
more comprehensive/deeper
meaning
Individual Disciplines
Multidisciplinary
Interdisciplinary
TransdisciplinaryEconomy-Social-STEM-Ecology
Step wise
PlatformforSocialInnovation

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Nagoya 2005
PlatformforSocialInnovation

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PlatformforSocialInnovation

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PlatformforSocialInnovation

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Post-2014 ESD
The GAP has two objectives:
1. to reorient education and learning so that everyone has the opportunity
to acquire the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that empower them
to contribute to sustainable development – and make a difference;
2. to strengthen education and learning in all agendas, programmes and
activities that promote sustainable development (as part of social
innovation).
PlatformforSocialInnovation

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sodahead.com
aseansoceity.com
Thanks!
BALANCED

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Acknowledgement
& Disclaimer
This presentation and the opinions expressed are those of the author as of the date of
writing and are subject to change. It has been prepared solely for purposes of education,
information and discussion by the recipients. Any reference to past data/indicators are
not necessarily a guide to the present and future. The information and analysis
contained in this publication have been compiled or arrived at from sources believed to
be reliable, and are duly acknowledged. The author does not make any representation
as to their accuracy or completeness and does not accept liability for any loss arising
from the use hereof.
Neither this document nor any copy thereof may be sent to or
taken into territories/places where the use and the distribution
may be restricted by local law and/or regulation.
This document may not be reproduced either in whole,
or in part, without the written permission of the author
© DAR 2007-2015