Value co creation in entrepreneurship education - case aalto universityOlli-Pekka Mutanen
Experiences from teaching: Presenting a value co-creation model comprising students, firms and university in education.
Case: Growth Entrepreneurship Education in Aalto University.
Value co creation in entrepreneurship education - case aalto universityOlli-Pekka Mutanen
Experiences from teaching: Presenting a value co-creation model comprising students, firms and university in education.
Case: Growth Entrepreneurship Education in Aalto University.
Accelerating Change for Social Inclusion project. Call for Proven Innovations addressed to Youth Unemployed. Definition of the key elements of the social problem and the solutions.
ESF and YEI support to Youth Employment, including Youth EntrepreneurshipOECD CFE
The aim of this High-Level Capacity Building Seminar is have an international exchange of information on inclusive entrepreneurship actions across the European Union and on how the European Union Structural Funds can be used to support actions that combine entrepreneurship promotion and social inclusion.
dismantling the curriculum in higher educationRichard Hall
My presentation at the Bishop Grosseteste University, Learning and Teaching Conference, 22 June 2015. Notes here: http://www.richard-hall.org/2015/06/19/on-dismantling-the-curriculum-in-higher-education/
Mobility of doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers between the EU, C...Mantas Pupinis
The presentation discusses:
- Recent developments in the European policy that will have an impact on internationalisation of higher education
- Evidence on mobility of doctoral and post-doctoral researchers between Europe, Central Asia and Asia-Pacific
The City of Waterloo is a community of choice to live, work, learn and play. The strength of our city lies within the pillars of our economic vitality: technology, knowledge and education, finance and insurance, manufacturing and community.
Innovación incipiente en economías emergentes: ¿puede traspasar Rusia sus bar...Fundación Ramón Areces
Innovación incipiente en economías emergentes: ¿puede traspasar Rusia sus barreras históricas?
Sheila Puffer, Northeastern University, Boston, EE.UU.
Madrid, 16 de enero de 2012.
Ciclo de conferencias 'Actividad empresarial y crecimiento: una perspectiva internacional' En colaboración con el IE Business School
Accelerating Change for Social Inclusion project. Call for Proven Innovations addressed to Youth Unemployed. Definition of the key elements of the social problem and the solutions.
ESF and YEI support to Youth Employment, including Youth EntrepreneurshipOECD CFE
The aim of this High-Level Capacity Building Seminar is have an international exchange of information on inclusive entrepreneurship actions across the European Union and on how the European Union Structural Funds can be used to support actions that combine entrepreneurship promotion and social inclusion.
dismantling the curriculum in higher educationRichard Hall
My presentation at the Bishop Grosseteste University, Learning and Teaching Conference, 22 June 2015. Notes here: http://www.richard-hall.org/2015/06/19/on-dismantling-the-curriculum-in-higher-education/
Mobility of doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers between the EU, C...Mantas Pupinis
The presentation discusses:
- Recent developments in the European policy that will have an impact on internationalisation of higher education
- Evidence on mobility of doctoral and post-doctoral researchers between Europe, Central Asia and Asia-Pacific
The City of Waterloo is a community of choice to live, work, learn and play. The strength of our city lies within the pillars of our economic vitality: technology, knowledge and education, finance and insurance, manufacturing and community.
Innovación incipiente en economías emergentes: ¿puede traspasar Rusia sus bar...Fundación Ramón Areces
Innovación incipiente en economías emergentes: ¿puede traspasar Rusia sus barreras históricas?
Sheila Puffer, Northeastern University, Boston, EE.UU.
Madrid, 16 de enero de 2012.
Ciclo de conferencias 'Actividad empresarial y crecimiento: una perspectiva internacional' En colaboración con el IE Business School
Gartner: Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends 2016Den Reymer
Digital Transformation and Innovation on http://denreymer.com
- Which trends will drive the greatest disruption to the IT landscape over the next three years
- Critical technologies that must be explored to support the move to digital business
- How these trends and technologies are evolving and actions to take today
http://www.gartner.com//it/content/3154000/3154017/december_8_top_strategic_technology_trends_dcearley.pdf
The role of science, industrial and technology parksAntonio Sfiligoj
presented at UNIDO workshop "Fostering inclusive and sustainable local industrial development in Europe and Central Asia" Ljubljana Slovenija April 8 2014
Fostering the startup Ecosystem in Latin AmericaTechstars
There are more common threads uniting us than creating barriers. And when we talk about the conditions necessary to the development of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, it is a fact there are common ingredients. These common ingredients are positioning Latin America to a once in a lifetime opportunity to build wealth and opportunities through entrepreneurship.
More than 99% of all companies are small and medium-sized enterprises, providing most training positions and creating the majority of new jobs. In the Baltic Sea Region SMEs account for around 55% of value added and 65% of employment
of all companies. This translates into over 26 million
people employed by SMEs. In times of economic
recession, supporting SMEs translates into supporting economic recovery and labour market stabilisation
in the EU. The innovation projects partfinanced
within the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013, in
2012, together formed a project cluster called Innovation in SMEs.
What do our SMEs need in the next few years or even the next
decades? How can we maintain highly innovative SMEs in the BSR and boost the innovation capacities of our companies? This brochure looks into three core areas of innovation
support: internationalisation and cooperation, qualification and education, and research and development.
Objeto de conferencia
International Conference on Engineering Education ICEE-2011 (Irlanda)
The Ibero-American Science and Technology Education Consortium (ISTEC) is a non-profit organization comprised of educational, research, industrial, and multilateral organizations throughout the Americas and the Iberian Peninsula. The Consortium was established in 1990 to foster scientific, engineering, and technology education, joint international research and development efforts among its members, and to provide a cost-effective vehicle for the application and transfer of technology. After twenty years, ISTEC has established a presence in the region, but it also has experienced problems to interact with different cultures and interests. During 2010 it suffered important changes in its organization and big efforts were realized to accomplish new goals and to share worldwide expertise, to facilitate distributed problem solving, creating the local critical mass needed for the development of regional projects in areas such as: continuing education, libraries and repositories, globalization of the culture of quality and accreditation standards, R&D, intellectual property development, capital acquisition, and social responsibility, among others. ISTEC continues to be dedicated to the improvement of Science, Engineering, Technology, Math education, R&D, and Entrepreneurship. The Consortium will foster technology transfer and the development of social and business entrepreneurs through the implementation of a global network that pretends to reach other countries in the world creating clusters of businesses and institutions that share common interest, assisting in the establishment of strategic alliances/joint ventures, and the promotion of collaborative partnerships in general.
Ver registro completo en: http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/27159
Using Skills in Spain – Workshop with StakeholdersEduSkills OECD
This presentation was prepared for the Diagnostic Workshop with Stakeholders in Cuenca (November 24-25, 2014) in the context of the “Building an Effective Skills Strategy for Spain” project, a collaborative project of the OECD and the Government of Spain. The material was intended as input to the Diagnostic Workshop with Stakeholders and does not aim to provide a comprehensive assessment of Spain’s Skills System. It focuses on the Using Skills pillar of the OECD skills strategy.
One of the factors behind the Philippines' consistency as a high-growth country is the innovativeness of the Filipino people, which is backstopped by Filipinnovation, the National Innovation System.
Factors affecting SME growth and policy options for internationalisationOECDglobal
Presentation by Prof. Jay Mitra, Business Enterprise and Innovation, University of Essex at the Launch of the SME Policy Index Western Balkans and Turkey 2016. 28 April 2016 - OECD, Paris, France
Ponente: Marie Audette, Decana de la Facultad de Estudios Superiores de la Universidad Laval y delegada de la Conferencia de Rectores de las Universidades de Quebec. Part 2
Ponente: Marie Audette, Decana de la Facultad de Estudios Superiores de la Universidad Laval y delegada de la Conferencia de Rectores de las Universidades de Quebec. Part 1.
Ponente: Francisco López Aguayo, Vicerrector de Postgrado de la Universidad de Cádiz, Director Regional de la Asociación Universitaria Iberoamericana de Postgrado AUIP
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
A workshop hosted by the South African Journal of Science aimed at postgraduate students and early career researchers with little or no experience in writing and publishing journal articles.
Macroeconomics- Movie Location
This will be used as part of your Personal Professional Portfolio once graded.
Objective:
Prepare a presentation or a paper using research, basic comparative analysis, data organization and application of economic information. You will make an informed assessment of an economic climate outside of the United States to accomplish an entertainment industry objective.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Exploiting Artificial Intelligence for Empowering Researchers and Faculty, In...Dr. Vinod Kumar Kanvaria
Exploiting Artificial Intelligence for Empowering Researchers and Faculty,
International FDP on Fundamentals of Research in Social Sciences
at Integral University, Lucknow, 06.06.2024
By Dr. Vinod Kumar Kanvaria
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
Gobernabilidad en la gestión universitaria de las IES latinoamericanas desde la visión económica
1. OECD Reviews of Higher Education in Regional and City Development Congreso de Compromiso Social, Espíritu y Valores de la Universidad OUI-IOHE, UTPL, Loja4 May 2011 Oscar.valiente@oecd.org
2. OECD’s tool to mobilise Higher Education for Economic, Social and Cultural Development of their Cities and Regions and to enhance regional partnership building: … the Reviews of Higher Education in Regional and City Development
3. Regions under review 2005 - 2007 2010 - 2012 Kazan 2007 with World Bank 2008 - 2010
4. Reviews2005-12 2005-07: 1st round 14 regions in 12 countries 2007 : Kazan with World Bank 2008-10: 2nd round 14 regions in 11 countries 2010-12: 3rd round 5 regions in 5 countries Recruitment ongoing Valparaiso, Sonora, Wrocław, Antioquia. Review visit to Free State, South Africa, took place in October 2010
5. 5 How are the reviews done? Regional Self-evaluation report lead and owned by the regional Steering Committee using OECD guidelines Visit by the OECD-led international expert team OECD Review Report tailored for the region Analysis and synthesis by OECD Disseminationof outcomes (roundtable meetings, national and regional seminars, international meetings)
6. Whatis being reviewed? National and regional context Partnership building The OECD reviews draw together HEIs and public and private agencies to identify strategic goals and to work towards them. Importance of context The reviews take account of different national and regional contexts within which the HEIs operate. Regional capacity building Social and cultural development Regional innovation HEIs Human capital and skills development Focus of analysis of the OECD review
7.
8. Enhanced partnerships, based on the self-evaluation process guided by the OECD template and overseen by the regional steering committee
9. Identification of new funding sources, co-operation opportunitiesbetween HEIs and industry, etc.
13. Out-migration and urban-rural divideRichard YELLAND attended the dissemination meeting in Concepcion, BíoBío Region on the 12-13 January 2011. The report was also published in Spanish. 8 Review visit: 16 – 22 August 2009 Jaana PUUKKA (OECD/IMHE Secretariat ) Ernesto FLORES (OECD/IMHE Secretariat) Philip WADE (former OECD Secretariat, FR/USA) Michael CRAWFORD (World Bank) Dewayne MATTHEWS (Lumina Foundation, USA) Jorge YUTRONIC (National Expert, CL)
18. Segmented HE system and lack of pathways between tech institutes and universities Dissemination meeting has yet to take place as the report is being translated into Spanish. Review visit : 11-17 October 2009 Ernesto FLORES (OECD/IMHE Secretariat) Marco MARCHESE (OECD/LEED Secretariat) Patrick DUBARLE (former OECD Secretariat, FR) Juan Carlos NAVARRO (Inter-American Development Bank) Jocelyne GACEL-AVILA (University of Guadalajara, MX) 9
26. Poverty, limited access to health services and violence
27. Entrepreneurship at early stagesReview visit 25-31 Oct 2009 PUUKKA & FLORES , OECD/IMHE PROTO (OECD/LEED) CHRISTOPHERSON (Cornel University, US) BARADELLO (University of San Francisco, US) MARMOLEJO (CONAHEC)
28. Forthcoming Final Report Regional Reviews Summary of second round reviews Outline of first round regions education and innovation policy changes and actions Thematic Topics Widening access to HE Entrepreneurship education Regional innovation networks Civic university World class HE systems HEIs and green growth Collaborators Jamil SALMI, World Bank Jonathan POTTER, OECD/LEED Susan CHRISTOPHERSON, Cornell University John GODDARD, Newcastle University Ellen HAZELKORN, Dublin Institute of Technology Mario PIACENTINI, OECD/GOV 11
30. Innovation-led Growth 13 Diversification of existing industry into new Upgrading existing mature industry Endogenous creation of new industry Exogeneous creation of new industry Enhance products, services or production technologies Create new industry Import new industry to the region Use the core technologies of an existing industry
31. Good practice and activity… but 14 No systematic processes and short term funding; Inadequate incentive and accountability structures. Limited co-operation among HEIs and btw HEIs and business and industry (information, absorption…), particularly SMEs Policy focus on few high tech fields and research based innovation; Low tech fields innovate too. 70% of OECD workforce is in the service sector. Human capital development ignored. Need to appreciate the students’ and graduates’ role in knowledge transfer. Weak human capital development: entrepreneur education, LLL for widening access, and cooperation in curriculum design.
32. What works? 15 Building on competitive advantage. Upgrading existing industry : the ceramics industry in Castellón ESP Setting a one-stop-shop for business enquiries: Knowledge House in North East of England Fostering people-based knowledge exchange and transfer: Knowledge transfer networks in UK Developing demand-pull in the SMEs: Vouchers in the Netherlands, Small Business Innovation Research Program in the US Providing tailored industry specific workforce training: US community colleges Problem-based learning for developing entrepreneurship skills: problem-oriented project work in Aalborg DK Research-based human capital development: URV cooperation with regional stakeholders ESP
33. Building on competitive advantages: Ceramics Industry in Castellón, Spain 16 Universidad Jaume Iis recognised as a world leader in R&D in the tile industry. The university’s ceramic research institute has contributed to the restructuring of the region’s traditional ceramic-tile production, which comprises 500 SMEs employing 36 000 people. The growth is built on technology transfer, spin-offs and upgrading of existing technologies. Today, Valencia is a global leader in the tiles and ceramics industry.
34. Creating a one-stop-shop for industry: Knowledge House, NE of England,UK 5 universities and Open University have a one-stop-shop that offers expert solutions for developing ideas and solving problems through collaboration, consultancy, training and R&D. Since 1996, Knowledge House has generated GBP 13 million for universities, and GBP 76 million in the last 4 years. In 2007, it generated GBP 4.7 million by delivering 364 completed projects from over 800 business enquiries. Business growth is 25%. More and more academics are engaging with the Knowledge House activities. Map credits: Google Maps™ Images credits: Knowledge House, Durham University, University of Teesside
35. People-based knowledge transfer: Knowledge Transfer Partnerships KTPs, UK 18 Launched in 1970s (Teaching Company Scheme), KTPs improve the competitiveness of companies: a university post-graduate “associate” works in the company for 1-3 years. The university receives part funding to cover supervisor’s salary and university overheads; the “associate” received a salary. KTPs are funded from the companies and from public organisations such as the Technology Strategy Board or a Research Council. SMEs pay GBP 20 000 per year. In 2008-09 there were 977 active projects. Benefits to UK business include over 6 500 staff trained, 1 119 new jobs created and an increase in pre-tax profits of GBP 126 million. 75% of associates have been are offered jobs in the company, while SMEs benefit from innovation or new technology.
36. Creating demand-pull in SMEs: Small Business Innovation Research Program, US 19 SBIR was launched in 1982 to facilitate the absorption of new technology by SMEs. SBIR provides up to USD 850 000 in early stage R&D to small technology companies or to entrepreneurs who launch a company. The principal investigator must work at least half time in the firm. SBIR funds proof of concept and prototypes. It helps SMEs cross the “valley of death” and attract private capital or win public contracts. SBIR is the largest US Innovation Partnership Programme. It has a stable budget: 2.5% of Federal Agency R&D budget have been set aside for SBIR grants. In 2009 the total budget was USD 2.3 billion.
37. Employer-specific training: Georgia Quick Start, US 20 QS is part of the 33-campus Technical College System of Georgia with centralised staff and resources to quickly develop and deploy customised training anywhere in the state. QS was launched in 1967, and revamped in the 1990s when offshore competition was undermining Georgia’s cost competitiveness. Quick Start teams of analysts examine the workflow process, develop a customised training programme incl materials. For new projects, QS pre-screens potential hires for the company. By early 2010, QS has conducted 6 000 projects involving 780 000 trainees. The basic budget is USD 22 million a year.
38. How to learn entrepreneurship skills?Problem-Based Learning in Aalborg DK In Aalborg University, Denmark, up to 50% of the study work consists of problem-oriented project work: students work in teams to solve problems which have been identified in co-operation with firms, public organisations and other institutions. It provides students with transferable skills and authentic work experience. Enterprises benefit from a clearer picture of what the university stands for and how students might fit in as prospective employees. The university gains feedback from the world of work and also benefits from access to instructive cases and ideas for research and teaching. 21 Map credits: Google Maps™ Images credits: Flickr (lionscavern), Yahoo, Google, Aalborg Uni
39. Research-based human capital development: URV chemical industry collaboration The University Rovira i Virgili (URV) has established a long-term co-operative relationship with the chemical industry in Tarragona (Spain) that incorporates both research and human capital development programmes. Faculty are allowed to spend time working in local firms during their leaves and have on-going relationships with the firms. There are strong alumni connections and students participate in internships and co-op programmes within the local firms. Both advanced technical vocational skills and higher degree based skills such as in engineering are designed in co-operation with the local industry representatives. Most important to the success of this integrated initiative is the strong support from the University leadership, including the Rector. 22
40. thank you for your attention www.oecd.org/edu/imhe/regionaldevelopment oscar.valiente@oecd.org
Editor's Notes
HE drives growth and innovation in cities and regions and can help them become more innovative and globally competitive.Reviews of Higher Education in Regional and City Development are the OECD’s vehicle to mobilise higher education for economic and social development, in short: to drive them out of the ivory towers. In 2007 we published ‘Higher Education and Regions - Globally Competitive; Locally Engaged’ reporting on a first round of reviews which embraced 14 regions in 12 countries. For the first round, we worked with the World Bank and reached out to 14 new regions in 11 countries including two non-member economies: Brazil and Malaysia. These reviews facilitate stronger collaboration between universities and governments at all levels and provide cities regions with tools and ideas to harness the innovation potential of HE. They draw together ‘town and gown’ and link them to public and private agencies to identify and work towards strategic goals. We have published a number of review reports. Each report gives recommendations to HEIs but also to national and regional governments. Each report also highlights how the economic downturn is affecting HEIs and their engagement with the economy.
The reviews investigate:The contribution of HEIs’ research to regional innovation The role of teaching and learning in the development of human capital and skills The contribution of HEIs to social, cultural and environmental development The role of HEIs in building regional capacity to act in an increasingly competitive global economyKey questionsWhat policies, practices and mechanisms promote mobilisation of higher education for regional and city development? How to make reforms happen?Which brings greater benefits to cities and regions a high performing regionally focused HE system or a single world class university?
The State of Victoria is a knowledge-intensive centre for Australia: Educational services are Victoria’s strongest export worth more than AUD 5 billion, surpassing tourism and automotive sectors. This report will explore how Victoria can continue to increase participation in higher education and widen access to lower socio-economic groups and how it can help higher education institutions transform Victoria into an innovative state with knowledge-intensive industries and jobs. This publication explores a range of helpful policy measures and institutional reforms to mobilise higher education for regional development.
The Paso del Norte Region is the largest metropolitan area on the US-Mexican border, with Ciudad Juárez as a major manufacturing centre. However, the economic performance on both sides of the border region is below the OECD average. The long-term competitiveness of the region is under a threat due to ongoing violence, brain drain and environmental degradation. The ability to fuel local growth by cultivating relevant skills is the best guarantee that Paso del Norte will thrive in future. A globally competitive region needs to have a highly skilled workforce and knowledge-based economy. To break out of the low skill/low wage economy, Paso del Norte needs to improve educational attainment levels on both sides of the border. It will also need to foster new business formationand provide jobs and entrepreneurial skills to higher education graduates.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face a range of barriers in accessing the knowledge resources of the universities which discouraged regional university/SME collaboration. The nine universities in Victoria have developed the Unigateway project as a signposting service for SMEs to contact someone who can deal with their enquiries. The Unigateway is a website which firms and government agencies can contact and which gives the contact details of a key person at each university. The Victorian universities should look to develop and enhance the Unigateway project to provide a more hands-on engagement with business and a more collaborative way of referring enquiries. The service should be proactive and interactive rather than just relying on a portal and the state and or commonwealth government should provide additional funding to encourage greater involvement by the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Knowledge House in the North East of England provides a good example of a comprehensive service provided by five universities.
Universities in Victoria have launched initiatives, projects and programmes to restructure or reformulate their approach to teaching and learning. For example: Victoria University has committed to integrating work and community-based learning into all its courses with at least 25% of assessment based on such learning. The University of Melbourne has restructured its curriculum, introducing six three-year broad-based undergraduate degrees leading to three possible pathways: entry into the workforce, a graduate professional degree or a research tertiary degree. Innovative initiatives have been launched to enrich learning experience and improve the employability of university graduates, such as global citizen initiatives, student leadership programmes and volunteerism. But often these types of programmes have a limited reach to a small proportion of students and fail to serve the needs and priorities of the region. Experimentation with experiential and problem-based learning models in group setting could provide a solution that would bring benefits for a wider group of students. The Aalborg model of PBP (Problem-Based Learning) is based on a win-win situation: It provides students with transferable skills and authentic work experience Enterprises benefit from a clearer picture of what the university stands for and how students might fit in as prospective employees. The university gains feedback from the world of work and also benefits from access to instructive cases and ideas for research and teaching.
The University RoviraiVirgili - URV in Tarragona (Spain).The focus on the chemical industry indicates a particularly relevant choice because Catalonia is specialised in the chemical industry in Spain and in Europe.Regional specialization provides a strong rationale for encouraging research-based human capital development in that sector. The extensive integrated research and human capital development activities related to the chemical industry by URV are a model for effective application of university resources to increase the productivity of a key regional industry.