The impact of science shops on university research and education

Science shops are mediating agencies at universities that give citizens and citizen groups access to the resources of the university through co-operation with students and researchers. Science shops have three aims: to support citizens and citizen groups in their efforts getting influence on their daily life; to give students opportunities for real life project work; to renew research and education at the university by drawing attention to new social topics and needs.

Based on a case study of the Science Shop at the Technical University of Denmark potentials, prerequisites and limits to the impact of science shops on universities and on society are discussed. A typology for the different types of knowledge requested by citizens and citizen groups through science shops is presented (documentation, knowledge building, development of new perspectives).

As important aspects of the potentials, prerequisites and limits to the impact of science shops are discussed the networking between the science shop and the researchers and teachers and with the citizens and other external actors, and the content and the structure of the curricula at the university.