A third mission has been added to the two traditionally existing missions of universities in the historical process:

• Mission: educating and empowering students through education and training
• Mission: to produce new knowledge and technology through research and development
• Mission: to contribute to society in line with societal needs

In the 'Anthropocene', that is, the 'human age' we are in, our responsibilities towards the planet and all living things on it are increasing, and concepts such as 'sustainability', 'planetary health', 'economic and social welfare' are becoming increasingly important. In the new interface of society and science, the necessity of opening transdisciplinary learning and innovation spaces has emerged in order to answer the questions that are on the agenda from a social point of view. The third mission has two main priorities:

• Using academic knowledge and experience to provide solutions to current social and economic problems
• Directing information and technology to services that will benefit society with the cooperation of the public, industry and civil society.

In line with these priorities, Hacettepe University aims at the following objectives within the framework of its social contribution mission:

• To be a socially responsible institution
• Shedding light on the field of entrepreneurship in society
• Supporting lifelong and non-formal learning
• Interacting with the community and local people
• Responding to societal and global needs

While planning the social contribution activities of our university, answers to the following questions are sought:

• What are the problems that need to be solved in society right now?
• How and in what areas do these intersect with the mission and vision of the University?
• Which mechanisms should be used when carrying out social contribution activities?
• Which stakeholders should be collaborated with?
• How is impact created and measured?
• How should prioritization be done?

Societal contribution activities are planned in four dimensions.

While prioritizing the activities, the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable communities are prioritized for the health of the world and the world and for socio-ecological transformation.

It is aimed to reflect the outputs of each activity carried out on the result and to measure the impact of the results on the society.

The activities planned to be carried out by the Societal Contribution Coordinatorship in 2023-2024 with the participation of internal and external stakeholders can be accessed here.