Bridging university and society in Uruguay: perceptions and expectations

This paper analyzes the third mission of universities, based on a case study of the University of the Republic in Uruguay. It draws on the perceptions and opinions of a broad range of actors, from academia to enterprises, and from parliament to trade unions. The University of the Republic is the only public university in the country, and it has played a major role in its history. The university's relevance, legitimacy and respectability were conveyed in the interviews, though counterbalanced by questions concerning its future role. The high appreciation of the university clearly has its limitations: societal support should not be taken for granted and criticisms emerge hand-in-hand with excessive expectations of the role the university can play. The specific analysis of the third mission permeates the paper as an open question, and definition of this mission is an on-going process.