Overview
This Strategic Leadership Focus Group examines how universities can strengthen their role as engines of innovation and impact in an increasingly complex global environment. As societies face intersecting challenges—economic uncertainty, sustainability pressures, technological disruption, and social transformation—higher education institutions are expected to move beyond traditional research outputs toward demonstrable societal, economic, and policy impact.

The dialogue will focus on leadership strategies that enable research ecosystems to become more agile, interdisciplinary, and impact-driven, while remaining aligned with local development priorities and national agendas. Participants will explore how governance models, funding mechanisms, incentive structures, and external partnerships can accelerate the translation of research into scalable solutions. The session will culminate in practical recommendations and roadmap elements to strengthen impact-oriented research and innovation systems.

Aims

• Examine how universities can shift from output-driven research models to impact-oriented research ecosystems.
• Identify leadership, governance, and funding levers that enable effective knowledge translation and innovation uptake.
• Explore mechanisms for aligning research priorities with local, national, and regional development needs.
• Share effective practices for fostering interdisciplinary and mission-driven research.
• Co-develop strategic recommendations and roadmap actions to enhance research impact and innovation outcomes.