Turning local challenges into learning opportunities
Vilniaus Kolegija (HEI) has established a transformative “Science Shop” model that bridges the gap between academic expertise and the real-world needs of civil society. This practice is designed to help local communities address complex societal challenges while providing students with practice-based, interdisciplinary learning opportunities. By transforming community problems into structured research questions, this initiative ensures that academic work translates directly into socially applicable solutions.
Addressing the Third Mission and Societal Needs
The initiative was developed to tackle several key hurdles within the higher education and community landscape, including:
- Fulfilling the “Third Mission” of universities by actively engaging with and supporting local communities, NGOs, and schools.
- Closing the expertise gap for community partners who face real-life problems but lack the resources for research-based solutions.
- Developing “transformative” competencies in students, such as ethical thinking, creativity, and interdisciplinary collaborations, that go beyond technical knowledge.
Implementation and Strategic Research Areas
The practice is executed through a collaborative process that begins with identifying a societal need and transforming it into a project plan. Student teams, guided by academic supervisors, conduct surveys, experiments, or design work across several primary scientific pillars:
- Sustainable environment, housing, and transport, creating proposals for green routes and infrastructure improvements.
- Sustainable materials and technologies, including projects focused on noise reduction and construction concepts.
- Inclusive society and universal design, developing layouts for educational spaces and outdoor classrooms. This model creates a symbiotic environment: students gain hands-on experience and “know-how,” while communities receive tailored recommendations and visualisations to aid decision-making.
Results and Impact
Since its implementation, the initiative has demonstrated significant social and educational success:
- Broad community engagement, with more than a dozen projects implemented alongside schools, NGOs, municipalities, and professional associations.
- High student and partner satisfaction, with 90% of participants reporting high satisfaction and 96% stating they gained valuable project management and communication experience.
- Practical application of results, as communities have received concrete recommendations and innovative solution concepts that can be put into practice.
Lessons Learned and Transferability
A primary finding of this initiative is that problem-based learning is a powerful tool for regional innovation, as students value applying creative approaches to real needs over traditional lecture-based learning. This model is highly transferable and can be replicated in other higher education settings by identifying community needs and guiding students through structured project work. Looking forward, the partners emphasise that providing methodological support for lecturers and clear communication with community partners is essential for overcoming the challenges of interdisciplinary collaboration.
Learn more
This case illustrates how targeted cooperation between HEIs and civil society can drive social progress. For more information regarding this collaboration and its impact on local communities, please contact the Vilniaus Kolegija project team.
We will be back next week with another inspiring good practice from one of our members. It is not too late to submit yours. Please do so by contacting eurashe@eurashe.eu