In this open access publication, we identify how universities perform in citizen science activities and the ways in which they can cater to the needs for citizen participation in science for society. As the world is facing unprecedented challenges (e.g., climate change, pandemics), the role of citizens and scientific knowledge in addressing emerging issues has come to the fore. By adopting open and citizen science as guiding methodologies, academia’s contribution becomes crucial in promoting both concepts for a social purpose. The study was realised by Katerina Zourou in the context of the INOS project.