Industry and Higher Education

This short article summarizes the need for a system of academic credits to be adopted in Europe. The author sets out a proposal for the establishment of such a system, and argues that the European Credit Transfer System, launched in 1989, presents an opportunity to develop a uniform and standardized system of credits for advanced training courses throughout Europe.

In this article, Lois Lamdin reviews current perceptions of ‘employability’ in the USA, the kind and extent of training sponsored by industry, and the difficulties perceived by industry in interacting with higher education in relation to training. She stresses the importance of recognizing the workplace as learning place, discusses the development and benefits of prior learning assessment, and sets out the importance of establishing a national credentialling system for the workforce, taking into account the variety of academic and non-academic ways learning is achieved. Finally, she describes the existing work of the Employee Growth and Development Programs of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, which demonstrate how business, unions, government, and higher education can work together to help respond to the crucial challenge of training and retraining a national workforce.

The institutions of higher education need to attract the interest of potential industrial sponsors. This need can be approached by describing the problems to which their research is seeking solutions. For the institutions to retain the initiative for further work they also need to create an element of competition for the rights to utilize the results of their research and to develop the international market for their research and for the teaching programmes which emerge from it. This article suggests one method of creating these market conditions in the UK and describes a pilot programme carried out by The Technology Exchange Ltd to demonstrate that such a strategy can be pursued without diverting research funds into the marketing and protection of intellectual property.

Activities and interest in the sphere of university–industry interaction have grown rapidly in Italy over the past ten years, but cooperation between the sectors is still in its infancy and there is a lack of formal structures for liaison. With special reference to the research programme Progetto Impresa-Università of the Fondazione RUI, the author assesses recent developments in university–industry interaction in Italy and points up organizational and structural constraints. He suggests various policy and organizational measures to encourage and facilitate cooperative activities, while at the same time taking into account the necessity to avoid imposing cooperation on academic institutions.

This article points out flaws in two types of ‘linear models’ (‘technology-driven’ models and ‘market-driven’ models) and argues that an interactive model will lead to the most successful partnerships. Three phases are identified: business concept generation; design development and concept testing; and commercialization and launch. The article concludes by outlining the optimum focus of collaboration for different sized companies.

This article looks first at the subject of technology transfer. Patent portfolio management is discussed, followed by research grants and contracts, and spin-off companies. Issues related to intellectual property management are then covered, including ownership, copyright and confidential information. The article stresses the many changes in approach that have taken place in UK universities in the last 10 years and which seem set to continue.

In 1987, the city of Bridgeport initiated a city-wide planning process which underscored the needs of the city's youth and provided an honest appraisal of the community's capacity to manage future challenges. Through the support of The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bridgeport Futures Initiative was established to unite education, business and industry, community organizations and citizens to develop a comprehensive approach for solving the complex problems facing youth in need and at risk. The years since inception have provided rich and compelling evidence that the participation of hundreds of people and many institutions can impact on the lives of young people. This article describes the development of this unique collaboration and gives examples of successes thus achieved. The Bridgeport Futures Initiative was commended in the 1990 Anderson Medal awards of the Business–Higher Education Forum of the American Council on Education (see Industry and Higher Education, June 1991, p 79).

This article examines the primary sources of funds from business for UK higher education. The preponderance of manufacturing companies over service companies is noted. The article then analyses the recipients of these funds, pointing out that the majority of funds go to universities (rather than polytechnics) and highlights the academic disciplines that are most successful at attracting R&D funding. The relative importance of student support, teacher support, and research and development are outlined.

Despite major advances in the partnership between industry and higher education, much still remains to be achieved in practice. The diverse reasons why IBM United Kingdom invests in education, and higher education in particular, are explored. Key educational issues, relevant to the company's interests, are identified and give a strategic framework for this investment. Examples of the company's involvement with higher education are described to illustrate how the partnership is realized. Finally, key factors in the company's strategy are identified.