Advancing social responsibility and innovation in a Spanish public universityThe case of the Inditex Chair of Social Responsibility at the University of A Coruña

Abstract

This paper contextualizes the relevance of Social Responsibility (SR) and of collaboration between the business sector and universities for quality and innovation in higher education under the light of the Triple Helix Model. Taking the Inditex-UDC Chair of Social Responsibility at the University of a Coruña (UDC) as a case study, it proposes a methodology for designing, implementing and evaluating a corporate-sponsored Chair in a Spanish public university, with an international dimension and in the context of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Surveys with qualitative and quantitative indicators have been used to evaluate both the quality of teaching innovation of the Chair�s postgraduate program and the degree of satisfaction of the students. The experience suggests that the model of corporate chair proposed is able to foster an effective dialogue between universities and their stakeholders, and hence, contribute to social innovation.