2004:38 R
Cooperation with the surrounding community in higher education
The aim of this evaluation was to provide perspectives and knowledge about the ways in which higher education institutions cooperate with the surrounding community. Another objective was to contribute to developments within this field. The evaluation also involved identifying the higher education institutions that are most effective in this kind of endeavour.
It is no longer meaningful to refer to the “third task”. Cooperation with the surrounding community is an approach that has been effectively integrated into research and teaching. We are impressed by the work that is being done at the higher education institutions. Considerable development has taken place during the last ten years. We feel, however, that in recent years less priority is being given by both the authorities and the institutions themselves to cooperation intended to develop democracy.
Higher education institutions cooperate with the surrounding community through their research and teaching. The task of cooperating has been assigned by the government and the Riksdag – and indirectly by the electorate – mainly through the stipulation on cooperation laid down in the Higher Education Act.
The conditions that apply to cooperation with the surrounding community vary for the different higher education institutions. This leads to diversity and specific profiles but also makes it unreasonable to single out any one institution as most effective in all the processes that lead in their turn to fulfilment of the objectives of cooperation. Instead we have opted to identify some institutions that, on the basis of their own circumstances, have shown that they function best.
We consider that Göteborg University, the University College of Trollhättan/Uddevalla and Mälardalen University College have the best cooperation with the objective of developing democracy. Mention should also be made of all the major universities, which, for many years, have undertaken extensive information activities.
We consider that Chalmers University of Technology, Linköping University and Blekinge Institute of Technology cooperate best with the objective of developing knowledge and growth. The Karolinska Institute and Mälardalen University College also deserve mention.
We consider that Linköpings University and Mälardalen University College cooperate best with the objective of improving educational programmes. Karlstad University and Uppsala University also deserve mention.
There is no “third task”
It is no longer meaningful to refer to the “third task”. Cooperation with the surrounding community is an approach that has been effectively integrated into research and teaching. We are impressed by the work that is being done at the higher education institutions. Considerable development has taken place during the last ten years. We feel, however, that in recent years less priority is being given by both the authorities and the institutions themselves to cooperation intended to develop democracy.
The cooperation of higher education institutions with the surrounding community
Higher education institutions cooperate with the surrounding community through their research and teaching. The task of cooperating has been assigned by the government and the Riksdag – and indirectly by the electorate – mainly through the stipulation on cooperation laid down in the Higher Education Act.
“The institutions of higher education shall also co-operate with the surrounding community and give information about their activities.”
Higher Education Act, third paragraph of Section 2 of Chapter 1 of the Higher Education Act (1992:1434)
The higher education institutions cooperate with the general public, the commercial and public sectors and various organisations. Among the actors that support this process can be found local authorities, regional bodies, public agencies such as Vinnova (the Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems) and KK-Stiftelsen (The Knowledge Foundation ), the holding companies linked to the various higher education institutions, and also the European Union. On the basis of the government’s intentions we have construed the aim of cooperation between the higher education institutions and the surrounding community as:
- The development of democracy
- Development and growth of knowledge
- Better educational programmes.
- Cooperation can be organised through three main processes that are linked to the research and teaching at the higher education institutions:
- The development of profiles, recruitment and extra-mural education/dissemination of research findings.
- Participation in knowledge and innovation systems to support the start of companies and the transfer of expertise.
- Planning programmes to meet labour market requirements and to provide students with scope for contact with the surrounding community during their period of study.
Our collective recommendations
In order to develop the cooperation of the higher education institutions with the surrounding community on the whole we consider that …
- Greater weight should be given to participation in cooperation activities in the assessment of qualifications.
- Resources for cooperation should be allotted to a greater extent in the form of direct government grants to all higher education institutions instead of being channelled through public agencies accountable to either the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications or the Ministry of Education, as is the case today.
- Government funds should be allocated to the higher education institutions on the basis of their success in terms of their own objectives.
- The higher education institutions should cooperate with each other and strive to pool their efforts to a greater extent than today.
- The factors leading to the success of strategic alliances between higher education institutions should be identified.
- Those responsible for the governance of the higher education institutions should ensure that a balance is maintained between the openness involved in cooperation with the surrounding community and academic integrity.
- Greater weight should be placed on cooperation measures whose goal is to develop democracy.
- The stakeholder role of the general public should be upgraded.
- Studies should be made to determine in what ways internal support for cooperation can best be organised to meet the needs of different situations.
In order to develop the cooperation of the higher education institutions with the surrounding community to develop democracy we consider that …
- Research communication/extra-mural courses should also in practice be considered to form part of an institution´s cooperation with the surrounding community.
- The support provided to individual researchers to facilitate their research communication/ extra-mural teaching should be improved.
- Greater use should be made of libraries.
In order to develop the cooperation of the higher education institutions with the surrounding community in the development of knowledge and growth we consider that …
- Higher education institutions should evolve strategies that support the requirements of different phases of the knowledge and innovation process.
- There should be incentives for both the institutions and their staff to participate actively in the knowledge and innovation system.
- There should be more focus on stimulating ideas and entrepreneurship.
- Greater weight should be placed on profiting from ideas and research findings in existing companies and public agencies.
- Courses in entrepreneurship should be offered as a component element throughout educational programmes.
- A higher education institution should be entitled to dispose of any profit made by a holding company.
- Students should be given insight into the operations of holding companies.
- The higher education institutions should develop their own networks and interfaces using, for instance, research institutes or agencies established on a similar basis within their own organisations.
In order to develop the cooperation of the higher education institutions with the surrounding community for better educational programmes we consider that ...
- The higher education institutions should devise strategies to enable the systematic application of the views of the surrounding community in their programmes. It is also important to take current research into account to enable programmes to be designed to meet future needs.
- It is important for the administrators of the higher education institutions to offer different forms of support to enable departments to undertake commissioned courses.
- Special government measures should be adopted to stimulate the institutions of higher education in the arts to undertake more commissioned courses.
- Students should be provided both with opportunities of contact with the surrounding community during their programmes and also information about the institution´s cooperative activities in other respects.
- The higher education institutions should endeavour to introduce work-experience placements in more programmes than today.
- The higher education institutions should provide support for students entering the labour market.
Our best institutions
The conditions that apply to cooperation with the surrounding community vary for the different higher education institutions. This leads to diversity and specific profiles but also makes it unreasonable to single out any one institution as most effective in all the processes that lead in their turn to fulfilment of the objectives of cooperation. Instead we have opted to identify some institutions that, on the basis of their own circumstances, have shown that they function best.
Cooperation for the development of democracy
We consider that Göteborg University, the University College of Trollhättan/Uddevalla and Mälardalen University College have the best cooperation with the objective of developing democracy. Mention should also be made of all the major universities, which, for many years, have undertaken extensive information activities.
Cooperation for the development of knowledge and growth
We consider that Chalmers University of Technology, Linköping University and Blekinge Institute of Technology cooperate best with the objective of developing knowledge and growth. The Karolinska Institute and Mälardalen University College also deserve mention.
Cooperation for better educational programmes
We consider that Linköpings University and Mälardalen University College cooperate best with the objective of improving educational programmes. Karlstad University and Uppsala University also deserve mention.
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Swedish National Agency for Higher Education Visting address: Luntmakargatan 13 Box 7851, 103 99 Stockholm
Phone: 08-563 085 00 Fax: 08-563 085 50 Email: hsv@hsv.se
Phone: 08-563 085 00 Fax: 08-563 085 50 Email: hsv@hsv.se
