Universities’ Third Mission is from teaching and doing research to dissemination of academic results and activities in society

Abstract In recent decades the academic world of universities has been grappling with another challenge: the Third Mission, or social impact. It is precisely the term Third Mission or Social Impact that generates confusion since, on the one hand, everything the academic world does has both social and economic significance; on the other hand, the academic world is called upon to dissimilate, to promote its teaching and research activities in society but excluding pure research and purely teaching activities. The manuscript aims to analyze the term Third Mission and the theories applied to it. Several SLRs have been analyzed, and the issues highlighted by the authors have been extrapolated and analyzed. Particular attention is given to academic engagement and the benefits of TM. The result could be helpful in a better understanding of the term itself and how it can be promoted among professors without creating further confusion and stress.