Editorial — The Societally Relevant Dual Higher Education – Empowering Agency in a Changing World

Abstract

This editorial introduces the second issue of the European Scientific Journal for Dual Higher Education and positions dual higher education as a societally relevant model for rethinking the role of universities in Europe. It argues that dual and work-integrated higher education goes beyond linking academic study with professional practice: it embeds learning in real societal challenges and supports students in developing agency, responsibility, critical judgement, and transformative competence. Against the backdrop of digital transformation, sustainability transitions, demographic change, and social uncertainty, the editorial highlights the need for stronger research, shared concepts, and comparative evidence across Europe. The contributions in this issue address soft skills development, workplace learning quality, ethical leadership, legal frameworks, regional innovation, and the intellectual structure of the field. Together, they demonstrate that dual higher education is an important space for academic inquiry, institutional innovation, and societal transformation.