Beyond the Third Mission: Pluralising Societal Relevance in Higher Education

Abstract

Debates on societal relevance in higher education often assume that relevance is a singular and expandable good. Building on a discourse-analytical approach, this article challenges that assumption and conceptualises relevance as plural, contested, and relational. It shows how different relevance expectations generate structural tensions rather than cumulative gains and how relevance claims are negotiated across discourses of usefulness, risk, politicisation, and the third mission. By introducing a typology of modes of contestation, the article reframes societal relevance as a matter of balance rather than maximisation.