The “third mission” in the Arctic universities’ development strategies

Currently, applying the “third mission” at universities is of relevance, since it also forms the basis of universities' activities along with education and science. Scientific understanding of this issue had been carried out by Russian and foreign scientists. The main components of the “third mission” are the commercialization of intellectual property, technology transfer, and innovation, the development of a university as an entrepreneurial structure, continuous education, social involvement, support for the development of regions, participation in the life of the local community, etc. The article analyzes the experience of applying the “third mission” on the example of universities located in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and some foreign Arctic universities. For this purpose, the documents defining the strategic development of two Russian (Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov and Murmansk Arctic State University) and five foreign Arctic universities (University of Copenhagen (Denmark), University of Oulu (Finland), the University of Iceland (Iceland), the University of Umeå (Sweden), and the Luleå University of Technology (Sweden). Specific forms and mechanisms used by universities are also analyzed. They contribute to the assessment of nature, characteristics, the degree of the “third mission” application carried out by universities.