This special issue uniquely focuses on the social dimensions of USR as a driver for sustainable development. While existing research often emphasizes environmental or operational aspects of USR, this issue foregrounds its civic, personal, and academic impacts, offering a fresh perspective on how universities empower individuals and communities to address societal challenges. The special issue will contribute new insights into how USR initiatives foster civic engagement, promote personal development (e.g., self-awareness, ethical leadership), and bridge the gap between theory and action in academic settings. By integrating interdisciplinary perspectives and real-world case studies, it will provide actionable frameworks for enhancing universities’ roles in advancing the SDGs. This focus on the measurable social outcomes of USR represents a novel contribution to the literature, offering strategies to amplify higher education’s societal impact.

List of Topic Areas

• Civic and Community Engagement Through USR;
• USR and Personal Development;
• Bridging USR Theory and Practice in Advancing SDGs;
• University as a Catalyst for Social Innovation;
• USR and the Development of Transversal Competences

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available here.
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see here.
Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to ““Please select the issue you are submitting to”.
Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Deadlines

Submissions Open : 15th July 2025
Submission Deadline : 4th Nov 2025

Guest Editors

Chih-Cheng Lin, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, cclin108@nkust.edu.tw
João Henrique Paulino Pires Eustachio, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany , Joao.Eustachio@haw-hamburg.de
Wen-Hong Liu, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, andersonliu@nkust.edu.tw