By Nelly Sander, , AAU Communication and Public Affairs.
Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photo: Charlotte Tybjerg Sørensen, AAU Kommunikation og Public Affairs

The Mission Guidebook is out now – the handbook on working with a mission-oriented approach. The guidebook is aimed at researchers, but is also relevant for managers, partners and practitioners engaged in solving societal problems in areas like health, energy, climate change, ageing, security, digitalization, education and innovation.

AAU as a mission-oriented university

"With the Mission Guidebook, AAU's researchers and partners have a knowledge base to work from and that can be used for discussions in the various partnerships and mission projects," says author of the guidebook David Budtz Pedersen, Professor in Organization, Management and Evaluation of Research at AAU.

Since 2022, an essential part of AAU's strategy is to be a mission-oriented university. And the mission-oriented approach is tailor-made for the university's DNA with its problem-based learning and strong collaboration with the surrounding community.

Necessary methods and strategies

According to the author, there is no doubt that research and innovation created in collaboration with stakeholders and practitioners strengthens the basis for sustainable growth, welfare and development. Missions are a method and a framework that can help bring new participants into the research and get the research out to society and create impact.

The Mission Guidebook, in three chapters, thus provides a wealth of information on methods and strategies required to organize mission-oriented research. These include partnership-driven research, interactive research, knowledge bridging and impact planning and evaluation. The latter in particular is extremely important, according to David Budtz Pedersen. Missions call for new approaches to creating and measuring impact that focus on process results and learning. 

"We know that knowledge does not spread by itself. Knowledge transfer and research-based solutions require active collaboration, problem-based learning, and partnerships that produce and implement knowledge. This is the core of Aalborg University's mission programme," says David Budtz, who concludes by emphasizing that the guidebook is not an end point, but the start of a dialogue about good mission-oriented work.

The Mission Guidebook can be downloaded from the mission website: 

Published along with the Mission Guidebook, Mission Essentials is a condensed version with main points.