The world is changing: We live in a fluid and fast-paced world. Societies that were once oceans apart are now completely interconnected; jobs are being created and eliminated at record rates; technical innovation is accompanying our daily lives, as well as an ever faster environmental degradation. In such a world, fundamental questions arise: What does it mean to thrive in this society? What are the skills necessary to gain meaningful employment? How does one make an impact on society for the good of all?

Ashoka builds and cultivates a community of changemakers, comprised of social entrepreneurs, young changemakers and institutions. Together we mobilize a movement to create an “everyone a changemaker” world. We work towards a world in which everyone, including teachers, students, and university employees, feels capable and invited to drive change.

Regarding higher education, social innovation offers a twin benefit. Firstly, as an educational framework, social innovation has the power to develop relevant twenty-first-century skills in students. Secondly, as an approach to institutional change, it can also rewire the institutional ecosystem to become more innovative, resilient, relationship-oriented, and responsive to the needs of its core constituents and the community within which it is embedded.

Higher education is uniquely equipped to prepare learners of all generations with the hard and soft skills required to lead and to drive long-term change, such as empathy, creativity, collaboration, and systems thinking. We envision a sector characterized by interdisciplinarity, new models of hands-on education, active engagement with on- and off-campus stakeholders, and leadership and innovation opportunities infused across the organization.

Ashoka envisions a higher education sector where colleges and universities feel a responsibility to create positive social impact as part of and beyond core institutional operations. They cultivate students as changemakers with broad-based changemaking skills (empathy, creativity, collaboration, and systems thinking). Changemaker Campuses are adaptive, resilient, innovative, and collaborative organizations, increasingly breaking down traditional silos and hierarchies. They invest in new structures and norms that increase multidisciplinary, cross-campus collaboration, blending of theory and practice, and integration with local communities.

Since its launch in 2008, Ashoka has selected 51 Changemaker Campuses globally, engaged 600 colleges and universities in Ashoka U programs, and supported more than 4000 educators and senior administrators as they designed and taught courses, produced research, and created and implemented strategy. We also catalyzed over 2 million students to gain education and skill-building in changemaking and social innovation. In 2021, Ashoka U and the Changemaker Campus network started transitioning from a centralized, fully staffed, programmatic model to a decentralized model in which Changemaker Campuses collaborate on regional initiatives via Ashoka country offices and programs.

Ashoka’s experience supports the idea that higher education should seek to align with the world at large: learning and social impact belong together. Responding to the challenges and needs of our society can only be learned by putting in place actions that generate a real transformation in context. This is why students recognize this purposeful approach and feel inspired when universities deliver on their promises and practice what they preach. Therefore, Ashoka believes that all colleges and universities can and should embrace social innovation, both as an educational framework and as a strategy for institutional change.

Judit Costa is a partner at Ashoka and based in Berlin. In order to create an everyone a changemaker world, she keeps on unlocking the potential of individuals and institutions. Further information on Ashoka can be found here: www.ashoka.org

FormalPara Practical Advice, Frameworks and Supporting Material Can Be Found Here: