eu.daad.de EU-Bildungsprogramme im Hochschulbereich

University-Enterprise cooperation

The project

The project “University-Enterprise cooperation: building on new challenges from past experiences” (in the framework of Socrates Accompanying Measure) was run by the DAAD (the German Academic Exchange Service) in a consortium consisting of ESMU (European Centre for Strategic Management of Universities), and National Socrates/Leonardo Agencies from nine countries (Austria, Finland, France, Hungary, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Portugal) and a number of European experts. Its aim was to analyse the place of University-Enterprise cooperation in EU education and training policies, to assess how universities have integrated this dimension in their strategic developments and activities, and to formulate recommendations on how the University-Enterprise dimension can be further stimulated.

It is clear that both universities and enterprises benefit from closer cooperation; however, many universities still lack an entrepreneurial spirit and act too academically oriented. They also tend to make less relevance of their programmes to the needs of the labor market a sufficiently high priority. The recommendations which are part of the project report seek to address these issues.

The project started with an online survey carried out from the end of January to early April 2007. The aim of the online survey was to present a snap-shot of the state-of-the-art of University-Enterprise cooperation in Europe, with a view to identifying key areas which deserve particular attention and future actions. Out of 400 respondents from 34 countries in Europe, various types of University-Enterprise cooperation activities were investigated and an assessment made of progress in the last few years. For more information see survey questionnaire and statistical analysis.

The main target group was a wide range of representatives of higher education institutions (international offices, placement offices, career services; deans, Bologna Promoters, ERASMUS coordinators, EU project coordinators in faculties). The underlying assumption was that these categories would comprise a share of relevant stakeholders to be questioned on issues of University-Enterprise cooperation.

Based on the findings of the survey, eleven institutions from across Europe were selected for further analysis and in-depth interviews. The outcomes of these interviews were compiled in eleven case studies.

The findings of the online survey and some of the case studies were presented and discussed at the Conference in Bonn on 18-19 June 2007. The conference resulted in a Bonn Declaration highlighting recommendations addressed to stakeholders in the area of University-Enterprise cooperation.