In the article, “Service to Society is Essential in Modern Universities,” Depo discusses the “third mission” of universities: their responsibility to contribute to society alongside their traditional missions of research and teaching. He argues that although societal engagement can be more difficult to quantify than research funding or teaching outputs, it plays an essential role in strengthening universities’ societal impact, partnerships, public relevance, and international visibility.
The article also highlights the WHO Collaborating Centre at Tampere University as an example of how universities can put this third mission into practice. The Centre works at the intersection of research, policy, capacity building, and international collaboration, connecting expertise within Tampere University with policymakers, researchers, institutions, and international organizations. Depo emphasizes the Centre’s role in supporting collaboration across disciplines and faculties while creating links between the university and wider national and international networks.
For the WHO Collaborating Centre, service to society is not separate from academic work. It is an integral part of how research and expertise can contribute to better policies, stronger institutions, greater health equity, and improved population health. Our work with WHO and other international and national partners provides an important pathway for translating academic knowledge into policy dialogue, capacity building, and practical societal impact.
The article also reflects a broader ambition of the Centre: to strengthen Tampere University’s role as an internationally connected university whose expertise reaches beyond academia and contributes directly to addressing major societal and public health challenges.
