Giving Compass' Take:

• The Southeast Asian Social Innovation Network (SEASIN) project aims to build a network of universities to advance social impact and innovation in Southeast Asia. 

• How are higher education institutions positioned well for activating social impact in surrounding communities? 

• Read more about social investments in Asia. 

Funded by the European Commission and coordinated by Glasgow Caledonian University, the Southeast Asian Social Innovation Network (SEASIN) project aims to develop a network of universities that will help support its goals of achieving sustainable and inclusive growth, social cohesion, and equity in Southeast Asia through intercultural, curricular, and extracurricular activities.

Collaborating with local universities is the first step to better understanding how higher education institutions may support social impact in the communities surrounding them. With this knowledge, SEASIN established Social Innovation Support Units (SISU) at universities in Myanmar (Cooperative University, Thanlyin, and Yangon University of Economics), Thailand (Kasetsart University and Thammasat University), Cambodia (National University of Management and the Royal University of Phnom Penh), and Malaysia (Universiti Teknologi MARA and Sunway University).

Through these partnerships, SEASIN promotes and supports university-social enterprise cooperation, social entrepreneurship, and graduate employability with an emphasis on social innovation projects, incubation, and training. The units aim to achieve these goals through a range of learning and teaching tools, from the development of postgraduate programs to creating virtual spaces for sharing best social innovation practices and learning outcomes.

As more universities become aware and committed to their role in social innovation, increasing importance is placed on what the education system can and should do to break down barriers to social innovation and become powerful forces for impact.

Read the full article about Southeast Asian Social Innovation Network by Carolyn McMillan & Mark Anderson at Stanford Social Innovation Review