Call for Papers: ZFHE 22/2

Call for Papers ZFHE 22/2

The Contribution of Higher Education Institutions to an Open, Inclusive, and Democratic Society

Editors:

Ed. C. Trautwein, R. Krempkow, O. Zimmermann, L. Leišytė & A.-L. Rose

The Social Role of Higher Education Institutions in General

In light of complex, pressing social challenges, higher education institutions are expected to act not only as transmitters of knowledge but also as active shapers of social developments (Paleari et al. 2015).

Universities play a central role in promoting transdisciplinary research and developing practical solutions to “wicked problems” (Hanson, 2019), such as climate change, environmental pollution, poverty, sociopolitical polarization, and social inequality. Together with practitioners, they should develop and promote solutions that address and integrate both academic and societal needs. The Third Mission calls on universities to contribute more to society by actively participating in solving the aforementioned problems. Accomplishing this task requires close integration of science, practice, and society, as addressed in quadruple-helix models (e.g., Machado et al., 2024) and through transdisciplinary collaborations (Society for Higher Education Research [GfHf], 2025).

With regard to current sociopolitical developments, voices are also being raised to remind universities that, in accordance with the Higher Education Framework Act, they are to empower students to “act responsibly in a free, democratic, and social constitutional state” (Section 7 HRG). According to Pasternack & Henke (2025), this is less about “democracy education” in the narrow sense and more about creating the prerequisites for such responsible action through the development of judgment, conflict resolution, and communication skills, as well as the ability to deal with ambiguity or tolerance for ambiguity (pp. 5–8). To develop these skills, deliberative or discourse-oriented teaching and learning methods, project-based learning, service-learning projects, etc., are recommended (p. 21). Such forms of learning—when implemented effectively—have also been shown in studies on the career trajectories of university graduates to be predictors of later professional success (Schaeper & Briedis, 2004; Matthews et al., 2015).

In addition to students acquiring democracy-related competencies, universities have further normatively oriented tasks, e.g., embedding a focus on sustainability, assuming special responsibility for developing solutions to societal issues, addressing the potential consequences of the use of their research findings, contributing to the preservation and improvement of living and environmental conditions, counteracting structural disadvantages, promote gender equality and diversity and foster diversity sensitivity, impart media literacy to their students, strengthen their ability to cooperate and work in teams, and so on (see, e.g., § 4 (1)–(10) of the Berlin Higher Education Act), as Pasternack & Henke (2025) explain, while also warning that universities risk getting lost in the multitude of these requirements.

Internationalization is another key aspect: universities must integrate global perspectives into research and teaching to prepare students for an increasingly interconnected world (DAAD, 2023). Added to this is the digital transformation as a cross-cutting task affecting all types of higher education institutions. It encompasses the development of digital teaching and learning formats, the use of AI in teaching and research, and ensuring that students and faculty possess the necessary digital competencies (German Research Council, 2022), particularly knowledge regarding appropriate and inappropriate areas of application (possibilities and limitations).

The social role of higher education institutions in particular

The German higher education landscape has become highly diversified in recent decades. In addition to the traditional—state-funded—universities and the established universities of applied sciences (HAW), dual and non-state higher education institutions are also playing an increasingly significant role and each fulfill specific social functions (HRK, 2023; German Research Council, 2022). The following characterizations should not be viewed as mutually exclusive categories but rather as overlapping ones, with certain combinations occurring particularly frequently: For instance, there are a few private universities, while most non-state higher education institutions are universities of applied sciences (HAWs), and dual and distance learning programs are more common at them than at state universities (2). This must be taken into account when analyzing the higher education landscape.

Role of Universities

Universities traditionally undertake the task of basic research and the promotion of young researchers. They are places of knowledge production and contribute to the international competitiveness of the science system. Furthermore, they are key players in education within research-oriented degree programs and in the development of innovative technologies. Their social responsibility includes fostering critical thinking, ensuring scientific excellence, and participating in global research networks (Science Council, 2022).

Role of Universities of Applied Sciences

Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW) are characterized by a particularly close integration of science and practice. They are strongly rooted in their regions and cooperate intensively with businesses, local governments, and social institutions. Their mission lies in practice-oriented education and applied research that directly contributes to solving societal and economic challenges. They play a key role in securing skilled workers and promoting innovation within small and medium-sized enterprises (HRK, 2023). Additionally, universities of applied sciences are key players in implementing digitalization in teaching and developing practical solutions for the digital transformation.

Role of dual universities

Dual universities combine academic education with professional practice. They fulfill a joint training mission with industry and government partners. This model promotes the employability of graduates and contributes to securing a skilled workforce, particularly in times of demographic change and digital structural transformation (BIBB, 2023). Furthermore, dual universities contribute to the permeability of the education system, the integration of practical perspectives, and the integration of non-traditional students (NTS).

Role of Private Universities

According to the HRK, private universities (pHS) contribute to differentiation and competition within the German higher education system, often distinguishing themselves through innovative and practice-oriented degree programs and responding to societal needs, such as the academization of health professions or similar fields (HRK, 2016, p. 2; Stifterverband, 2020, p. 25). With flexible, target-group-specific programs, pHS respond, among other things, to the needs of non-traditional students (NTS), who often have alternative qualifications for university admission or concurrent family or professional obligations (Philipps, 2024, p. 29; Lange & Schaper, 2025). The career paths of professors at pHS are also more diverse than at traditional universities or state universities (sHS). In particular, pHS—which are mostly organized as universities of applied sciences—open up pathways to professorship through part-time professorships and the recognition of practical professional experience, making the professorial body more diverse than at classical universities or sHS (Höhle & Zimmermann 2025, Sembritzki 2020).

Thus, at the level of students and faculty, pHS are often more open and inclusive than sHS and could potentially serve as a model for them. However, inclusion and openness do not come without challenges: While pHS do enable previously underrepresented social groups to access higher education, dropout rates are higher and success rates lower in distance learning programs at NTS—as is common in distance learning programs—(Dahm, 2022); thus, there is still no equality of opportunity in terms of academic success (Trautwein et al., 2026/forthcoming).

Furthermore, many female professors (not only part-time employees) at pHS are disadvantaged compared to their male colleagues at sHS in terms of working conditions, pay, and job security (Höhle & Zimmermann 2025).

Aims and Objectives of This Issue

While extensive research is available on public universities and sHS (see, for overviews, e.g., Webler 2025; Pasternack et al. 2025; Hüther & Krücken 2016), systematic knowledge regarding the societal contribution of non-public universities or pHS in German-speaking countries has been limited to date: As Philipps (2025) points out, there is little empirically substantiated evidence, particularly regarding student profiles, motivations for studying, academic trajectories, and the transition into the labor market. Consequently, it also remains unclear what contribution pHS make to addressing key societal challenges—such as educational equity, internationalization, or gender equality. Philipps (2025) therefore advocates for an expansion of explanatory and comparative empirical research that supplements existing secondary data with primary data collection and systematically accounts for the specific contextual conditions of the non-public higher education sector. Methodologically, more contextualized and explanatory research approaches, as well as comparative studies with public universities, are also necessary to improve the transparency, standardization, and comparability of the data.

In this regard, it also seems particularly worthwhile to examine other (European) higher education landscapes and, for example, to investigate the societal contribution of open universities (e.g., Filippakou 2025).

Furthermore, despite the already extensive German-language research on sHS, there remain recognizable gaps in the subject area addressed by the call. These include, among other things, the question of the extent to which sHS actually contribute to “empowering their students to act responsibly in a free, democratic, and social constitutional state”—a mandate formulated in §7 of the still-valid Higher Education Framework Act and one that is gaining new relevance in light of current developments.

Possible Thematic Approaches

For this special issue, we particularly invite contributions that:

• provide theoretical and/or empirical contributions to the Third Mission of various types of higher education institutions and examine how collaborations with professional practice, civil society, local governments, etc., can contribute to this. Here, the specific role and responsibility of higher education institutions (particularly universities of applied sciences, dual and private universities) in regional contexts could also be examined;
• shed light on the tension between success factors and challenges in the contribution of higher education institutions (public, private, and church-affiliated universities, (dual) universities of applied sciences offering on-campus, hybrid, or distance learning programs, etc.) to an open, inclusive, and democratic society;
• address the opening up of higher education institutions with regard to the composition of the student body or the faculty/academic staff, and in doing so, analyze pathways to admission, academic and career trajectories, academic success and dropout rates, as well as practical orientation and transitions into the labor market, taking diversity characteristics into account;
• discuss (internationally) comparative perspectives on the societal contribution of higher education institutions and the transferability of empirical findings or theoretical models for understanding different higher education sectors and systems.

This list is not exhaustive. Contributions addressing related issues are also welcome; in such cases, they should clearly highlight which specific research gap or practical problem they address in connection with our call and why. Overall, we aim for a broad spectrum of contributions—ranging from research articles to research-driven development contributions and practice-inspired or practice-informing reflective development contributions (see submission guidelines). We hope that this special issue will provide impetus for a substantive discussion in academia, research management, and higher education policy.

References

BIBB (2023). Dual Study Programs in Germany: Developments and Perspectives. Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training.

DAAD (2023). Internationalization of Higher Education Institutions in Germany. German Academic Exchange Service.

Dahm, G. (2022). Early Dropout or a Fast Track to a Successful Degree? Academic Success of Non-Traditional Students. In C. Kerst & A. Wolter (Eds.), Academic Readiness of Vocationally Qualified Students Without School-Based College Admission Qualifications: Admission Requirements, Academic Progress, and Academic Success (pp. 201–243) . Springer Fachmedien. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-35429-9_9

Filippakou, O. (2025). Two ideologies of openness: a comparative analysis of the Open Universities in the UK and Greece. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 9(1), 160–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2025.2453685

Society for Higher Education Research. (February 6, 2025). Call for Papers GfHf 2025: The Socially Relevant University – How Can the Integration of Science, Practice, and Society Succeed?

https://www.gfhf.net/call-for-papers-gfhf-2025-die-gesellschaftsrelevante-hochschule-wie-kann-integration-von-wissenschaft-praxis-und-gesellschaft-gelingen/

Hanson, L.L. (2019). Wicked Problems and Sustainable Development. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability in Higher Education. Springer, Cham. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63951-2_522-1

Höhle, E., & Zimmermann, O. (2025). Part-Time Professorships at Private and Public Universities of Applied Sciences: Gender, Distribution, Risks, and Opportunities. Personnel and Organizational Development in Teaching and Research Institutions, 23(2+3).

HRK (2023). The Role of Universities of Applied Sciences in the German Higher Education System. German Rectors’ Conference.

Hüther, O. & Krücken, G. (2016). Universities. Issues, Findings, and Perspectives in Social Science Research on Higher Education. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.

Lange, J., & Schaper, S. (2025). Non-traditional Students: Concepts, Discourses, and Empirical Evidence: A Systematic Literature Review. https://doi.org/10.18445/20250916-130835-0

Machado, H. P. V., Sartori, R., & Rosa, P. F. M. (2024). Beyond the Triple Helix model: Scientific production on the quadruple and quintuple helix. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 1-34.

Matthews, P. H., Dorfman, J. H., & Wu, X. (2015). The impacts of undergraduate service-learning on post-graduation employment outcomes. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 3(1), Article 18.

Paleari, S., Donina, D., & Meoli, M. (2015). The role of the university in twenty-first century European society. J Technol Transf 40, 369–379. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-014-9348-9

Pasternack, P., & Henke, J. (2025). Higher Education in an Uncertain Democracy. Approaches to Strengthening Resilience. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.17951293

Pasternack, P., Reinmann, G., & Schneijderberg, C. (Eds.) (2025). Handbook of Higher Education Research. Research on Higher Education and Science, Baden-Baden: Nomos.

Philipps, A. (2024). Non-Public Universities in Germany: A Scoping Review of Empirical Research. Institute for Higher Education Research, Wittenberg.

Schaeper, H., Briedis, K. (2004). Competencies of university graduates, professional requirements, and implications for higher education reform. HIS Briefing A 6/2004. Hanover: Higher Education Information System.

Sembritzki, T. (2020). The internal differentiation of the professorship as a challenge for higher education management. Higher Education Management, 15(1), 22–30.

Trautwein, C., Bettinger, R., Rebien, J. A., Pampel, A. M., & Hast, M. (2026/forthcoming). Distance learning as the higher education format of the future? The importance of the study entrance phase. Contributions to Higher Education Research.

Webler, W-D. (Ed.) (2025). Development and Status of Higher Education Research in Germany, Bielefeld: Universitätsverlag Webler.

Science Council (2022). Recommendations for the Further Development of the German Higher Education System.

About the Journal

The ZFHE is a peer-reviewed online journal for scholarly articles with practical relevance to current issues in higher education development. The focus is on didactic, structural, and cultural developments in teaching and student studies. In particular, the journal addresses topics that are innovative and still open to various approaches. The ZFHE is published by a consortium of European scholars. Further information: https://www.zfhe.at.

Submission Guidelines

Articles may be submitted in three different formats in German or English:

A research article should meet the following criteria:

• addresses a systematic question in trans-, inter-, or intra-disciplinary contexts;
• takes a research gap as its starting point;
• demonstrates extensive engagement with the academic discourse;
• employs a robust methodological approach;
• includes a reflection on the author’s own work;
• outlines the research methodology;
• employs a method that is highly suitable for answering the research question;
• presents the academic discourse in a reflective manner;
• offers clearly recognizable added value or a contribution to answering the research question or to the research discussion;
• consistently follows relevant citation rules (APA style, current edition);
• is between 20,000 and 33,000 characters in length (including spaces, as well as the title page, bibliography, and author information).

A research-driven development contribution should meet the following criteria:

• offers a higher education development perspective with a solid research foundation;
• discusses and analyzes a systematic problem in teaching development
• is a scientifically grounded “institutional research” contribution
• is supported by a literature review;
• clearly addresses the communication between academia and practice and/or the connection between the two poles of “research and development”;
• consistently follows relevant citation guidelines (APA style, current edition);
• comprises between 20,000 and 33,000 characters (including spaces, as well as the title page; bibliography and author information).

A development paper should meet the following criteria:

• addresses a specific problem in higher education development at the author’s own institution;
• practical need;
• is embedded in the academic discussion and literature (but without claiming to provide a comprehensive literature review);
• offers suggestions for teaching and higher education development, including recommendations for action where applicable;
• follows a systematic and transparent structure (e.g., no obscure references to specifics and details in a practical field);
• identifies generalizable aspects and factors in the sense of theory formation;
• clear considerations regarding transferability;
• research gaps are identified
• consistently follows relevant citation rules (APA style, current edition);
• is between 20,000 and 33,000 characters in length (including spaces, as well as the title page, bibliography, and author information).

Schedule

February 15, 2027 – Deadline for submission of the complete manuscript: Please upload your manuscripts to the ZFHE journal system (https://www.zfhe.at) under the appropriate section (Research Article, Research-Guided Development Article, Development Article) for Issue 22/2 in anonymized form; To do so, you must first register as an “author” in the system.

Mid/late March 2027 – Feedback/Reviews: All submissions will be evaluated using a double-blind review process (see below).

Mid/late April 2027 – Revision deadline: If necessary, authors may revise their contributions by this date in accordance with the critiques and recommendations from the reviews.

June 2027 – Publication: In June 2027, the finalized contributions will be published at https://www.zfhe.at and will also be available as a print publication.

Review Process

All submitted articles are evaluated for their scientific quality through a “double-blind” peer-review process. The editors of an issue propose the reviewers for the respective thematic focus and assign the individual articles to the reviewers; they also decide on the acceptance of the articles. The selection of reviewers and the review process for each thematic issue are overseen by a member of the Editorial Board.

Formatting and Submission

To save valuable time when formatting articles, we ask all authors to use the template available for download on the ZFHE website from the outset:

ZFHE Template German

ZFHE Template English

Texts must be editable and available, for example, in Microsoft Word (.doc), Office Open XML (.docx), Open Document Text (.odt), or plain text (.txt) formats; please do not submit PDF files. Contributions are initially required in anonymized form to ensure the double-blind review process. To this end, please remove all references to the authors from the document (including in the document properties!). Once the review has been approved, this information will be reinserted.

Any questions?

For questions regarding content, please contact Caroline Trautwein (caroline.trautwein@iu.org), René Krempkow (rene.krempkow@b-tu.de), Okka Zimmermann (okka.zimmermann@iu.org, o.zimmermann@tu-braunschweig.de); Liudvika Leišytė (liudvika.leisyte@tu-dortmund.de) or Anna-Lena Rose (anna-lena.rose@tu-dortmund.de).

For technical and organizational questions, please contact Alessandro Barberi (office@zfhe.at).

We look forward to your submission!

Caroline Trautwein, René Krempkow, Okka Zimmermann, Liudvika Leišytė, and Anna-Lena Rose