A Good University: A Philosophical and Co-creation Study of the Epistemic Responsibilities of Universities

Universities play a crucial role in modern societies. What is considered a good university has become an increasingly important question as they are now navigating a complex landscape. Universities face the influence of rapid societal, institutional, and global developments, and are expected to fulfil many different, sometimes conflicting and contradictory, roles. Despite these transformations, one constant can be observed: the core of universities revolves around knowledge and understanding. But it is precisely the role of knowledge that appears to be under pressure due to these changes and influences. In this PhD thesis I sought to understand, reflect on, and improve universities, by centralizing the role of knowledge and understanding in universities. Specifically, I developed and implemented a philosophically and empirically informed framework of the epistemic (knowledge) responsibilities of universities. Epistemic responsibilities of universities are those responsibilities that concern creating, attaining, exchanging, sharing, accommodating, applying, and safeguarding a diverse range of knowledges, understanding, insights, and other epistemic goods through higher education, research and by serving society. As such I sought to contribute to our understanding of the question: ‘what is a good university?’