this article discusses the relation between university and innovation focusing on forms of mediation that address the social responsibility of this institution. The discussion is carried out by combining approaches from the ecology of knowledges, network theories and complex thinking with theoretical elements on education, culture, reading and citizenship. It highlights the innovation potential of three social-focused projects related to the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Especially as they relate to the present context of information and communication technologies, the potentialities and contradictions brought to light indicate that institutional innovation itself is a major challenge to Brazilian university.
University-innovation relation; Informational mediation; Social responsibility
