At the forefront of transforming higher education, the University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) plays a pivotal role in the Erasmus+ funded project “Mapping Engaged Educator Career Pathways” (MapEEC). This ambitious initiative aims to address a critical challenge in academia: the lack of formal recognition and reward for educators who actively engage with external stakeholders and contribute to institutional innovation beyond traditional research and teaching metrics.
Led by Jönköping University, MapEEC brings together five partners across Europe, including UIIN, to reshape how academic careers are structured and supported. The project focuses on developing institutional strategies and tools that acknowledge and incentivise the contributions of engaged educators – those who go beyond the classroom to collaborate across faculties, with communities, and with industry.
UIIN contributes its deep expertise in university-business collaboration, engagement frameworks, and capacity-building. UIIN brings practical insights and evidence-based approaches to the table.
Through MapEEC, UIIN helps co-design mechanisms that recognise diverse academic contributions and foster a culture where engagement is not only encouraged but systematically rewarded. This includes supporting the creation of policy recommendations, organizing co-creation workshops, and facilitating dissemination activities to maximise impact across Europe’s higher education landscape.
The long-term ambition of MapEEC is clear: to cultivate more inclusive, flexible, and attractive academic career paths that value excellence in engagement alongside research and teaching. UIIN’s involvement is key to bridging institutional vision with practical implementation, making sure that engaged educators receive the recognition they deserve – and that students, institutions, and society all benefit from their contributions.
By integrating strategic insight with hands-on experience, UIIN is helping shape a future where higher education is more connected, impactful, and ready to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world.
To learn more about UIIN’s role in educational transformation, visit uiin.org.
Author: Rimante Rusaite