Hidden in university research is enormous potential for social innovation—insights, ideas, and perspectives capable of addressing the challenges of our time and improving the lives of many people. The pilot initiative Catalyst GER explores how research from the humanities, social sciences, and educational sciences can make its societal impact visible, sustainable, and effective.

On March 12, the joint UA Ruhr kick-off event for Catalyst GER took place at the UA Ruhr College for Social Sciences and Humanities, marking the first launch of the initiative in Germany. As a shared space for cooperation among the three UA Ruhr universities in the field of social sciences and humanities, the College provided a particularly fitting setting.

With Catalyst GER, Ruhr University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, and University of Duisburg‑Essen—together with five additional universities—support researchers in identifying fields of application for their research-based projects and in developing viable models to achieve long-term societal impact with their findings. Examples include continuing education or consulting services, social entrepreneurship, or appointments to political advisory boards.

The program is aimed at scholars from the so-called SHAPE disciplines. SHAPE stands for Social Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts for People, the Economy and the Environment, and thus includes the humanities, social sciences, and the arts. At the same time, the term highlights that these disciplines make an important contribution to people, the economy, and the environment—where “People” explicitly also includes society as a whole.

At the launch event, Prof. Barbara Albert, Rector of the University of Duisburg-Essen and spokesperson for the University Alliance Ruhr, together with the Vice Rectors Prof. Achim von Keudell (Ruhr University Bochum), Prof. Pedro José Marrón (University of Duisburg-Essen), and Prof. Gerhard Schembecker (TU Dortmund University), emphasized the importance of collaboration, interdisciplinary exchange, and structural support for successful knowledge transfer. In many institutes and institutions, transfer already takes place today in a wide variety of forms. However, such initiatives often still lack sufficient visibility or long-term perspectives. At the same time, exchange with users, practitioners, and target groups can provide valuable impulses for research and innovation.

The subsequent panel discussion also illustrated the diverse ways in which societal impact can emerge from the SHAPE disciplines. Prof. Lucia B. Amrhein from the Institute of Educational Science (Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Duisburg-Essen) shared insights from her experience as founder of the Institut Chancenrecht am Rhein. Prof. Matthias Sellmann from the Chair of Pastoral Theology (Catholic-Theological Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum) spoke about his path toward founding the Center for Applied Pastoral Research (ZAP). Dr. Corinna Schmidt from the Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Faculty of Business and Economics, TU Dortmund University) reported on her work leading a collaborative project with the Jobcenter Osnabrück on psychological capital.

These examples highlighted how knowledge transfer can be structurally embedded. An accompanying poster exhibition as well as short digital presentations also showcased the broad range of activities that already exist.

At the end of the event, Julian Jantke, Frida Koslowski, and Christoph Köller from the SHAPE Impact Kollektiv guided participants through a workshop in which they began identifying potential target groups for their ideas or projects using an Audience Map.

The kick-off event marks the start of a multi-stage program. Researchers can easily get involved through the digital “Discover” workshops. These two-hour workshops are aimed at scholars at all levels of experience and provide practical methods for identifying application potential in their own research, recognizing relevant societal stakeholders, and developing initial impact ideas.

Dates of the Discover Workshops:

• March 27, 10:00–12:00 (German)

• April 21, 13:00–15:00 (English)

• April 29, 9:00–11:00 (German)

Further information and registration for the online workshops can be found at www.catalyst-ger.com.