Current Approaches and New Paradigms in Educational Institutions Social Responsibility

At present, the educational system faces a number of challenges generated by phenomena such as globalization, digital technology expansion, sustainability, diversity, and the need for strong ethical standards. Educational institutions around the world are aware that training a quality and talented human resource for the labor market is no longer enough to differentiate themselves from other educational institutions. For educational institutions to be perceived as responsible, it is necessary for their graduates to be socially responsible, to have concerns about environmental protection, solving social problems, increasing the sustainability of economic activities. Social responsibility is the means by which positive changes can be induced within the community and society as a whole, and through which an organization can smoothly manage relationships with stakeholders. The chapter presents the current approaches and new paradigms on models of integrating competences on social responsibility in the subjects taught by educational institutions as well as the role of active actors that educational institutions can play in the area of social responsibility. Educational institutions need to transcend from a philanthropic culture of social responsibility specific to CSR 1.0 towards a strategic culture of social responsibility specific to CSR 2.0, or even better, towards a catalytic culture of social responsibility specific to CSR 3.0.