Learning to Innovate in Higher Education Management

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Research in Education, Teaching and Learning

Year: 2026

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Learning to Innovate in Higher Education Management

Dr. Paula Enciso, Tommy Wittke, Dalton Rodríguez

ABSTRACT:

The growing complexity of public universities, combined with the digitalization of institutional processes and increasing demands for innovation, has underscored the need for specialized training in university management. In this context, the School of Government of the Pro-Rectorate for Management at the University of the Republic (Uruguay) developed a research line on university management as an emerging field of knowledge, aimed at strengthening the connections between research, professional training, and institutional practice.
Within this framework, a collaborative initiative was implemented with the University Management Technologist program through the course Training, Knowledge Management and Innovation: Training for Work in the Public Sector. The course promotes critical reflection on public sector training, knowledge management models, and organizational innovation strategies.
The study examines this educational experience, focusing on the incorporation of Design Thinking as a methodology to bridge professional training, applied research, and organizational improvement in real university settings. The course is structured around three thematic areas — professional training, knowledge management, and organizational innovation — and students apply the initial stages of the Design Thinking process (empathy, definition, and ideation) through field-based projects carried out in their own university workplaces. These projects address challenges related to administrative management, institutional communication, work organization, and resource availability.
Findings indicate that the use of active methodologies fosters meaningful learning, strengthens participants’ capacity to analyze and transform their work environments, and generates valuable insights. The experience contributes to consolidating university management as a field of study and to building innovation capacities within public higher education institutions.

Keywords: Higher Education Management, Innovation, Design Thinking, Work-Based Learning