The university in tension

From mission functions to an ethos of social responsibility in "social" research

Abstract

This article addresses the university's role as a producer of knowledge and reflects on its social responsibility in the context of economic, political, and social challenges at the global and local levels. Traditionally, the university has been detached from daily and local problems, developing research projects with an instrumental approach and imposing solutions without considering local contexts and knowledge. This approach limits the effectiveness and sustainability of interventions, generating distrust and a lack of commitment in communities. In this way, the article highlights the need to rethink the university's role and its articulation with research, teaching, and extension, in line with the constant demands of society. It presents a case study of a project in Colombia that adopts an action research and participatory approach that promotes the social appropriation of scientific knowledge for the co-construction of territorial development solutions, challenging the instrumental tradition of university projects. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of the university as an ethical and active actor in social transformation through interdisciplinary research with an outreach approach.