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Regional Collaboration between Companies and the University Catania 20 April 2007 Toril Eikaas Eide, Centre for Continuing Education (SEVU) Slide 2 2 Experience from Norwegian pilot projects aiming at: - mutual development, - quality enhancement, and - innovation through integration of research and professional development / continuing education Slide 3 3 Co-operated by two Norwegian universities The Norwegian University for Life Sciences (UMB) The University of Bergen (UiB) Managed by our centres for continuing education,(SEVU) Slide 4 4 The city of Bergen gateway to the fjords Norways continental city 250 000 Slide 5 5 The city of Bergen: brief history Founded in 1070 Norways capital until 1299 thriving international port research traditions Bergen International Festival 2000 European City of Culture Slide 6 6 The city of Bergen: historical figures Ibsen Grieg Bull Nansen Bjerknes Rokkan Slide 7 7 The city of Bergen: culture and commerce the sea international education infrastructure Slide 8 8 The city of Bergen: education and research 3 university level institutions 20+ research centres 25 000 students 5 000 employees Slide 9 9 The University of Bergen Young university (1946) In the city of Bergen. 16.000 students 3.000 faculty and staff Faculties Variety and breadth. Seven faculties 90 different specialised departments, centres and institutes Centres Increasing number of multi-disciplinary research centres, projects and units Slide 10 10 Centre for Continuing Education (SEVU) Since 1990 UiBs main operating unit in the field of continuing education (CE) responsible unit as to building up and systemizing the UiB CE/LLL activity in principle Channel in Channel out with regard to external actors / target groups Still much direct contact between external actors and internal contents deliverers. Slide 11 11 Centre for Continuing Education SEVU shall: take initiatives be active in developing new courses based on recent developments in ICT focus on other target groups than ordinary students, in particular prioritize courses relevant to the work place. Relevant to all courses with a student fee / not free of charge. Slide 12 12 Project background, motivation challenges: Limited scale of LLL and University Continuing Education (UCE) activity in companies Limited knowledge in university about real life and important challenges in companies . and about their need for competence development Little direct feedback from companies about their problems and demands for knowledge Slide 13 13 Background, motivation challenges (cont.): Little experience in company and university from applying recent research results directly/quickly in professional development in companies And/or: University not sufficiently following up / implementing results of research when collaborating with companies (criticism in customers survey) Collaboration fragmented between university and companies not integrated or functioning as a whole Slide 14 14 How have you tried to meet such challenges? Approaches? Models? Projects? Networks? Partners? Collaboration? Marketing? Communication? Slide 15 15 Overall project quality aim: To stimulate increased innovation through a more wholistic and long-term collaboration in research and professional development between university and companies Slide 16 16 Project aim (cont.) : Stimulate learning and competence development through collaboration exchange of experience mutual knowledge construction innovation = quality improvement in: Company Network of companies, University, Region Slide 17 17 Innovation / quality enhancement seen as: New products New / changed processes, working methods Models/methods of organising work and working place in company / university Pedagogical development Slide 18 18 Core project feature / model: Running continuing education activities / professional development in networks of regional companies combined with and/or integrated in research or R&D projects * Supported by The Research Council of Norway Slide 19 19 Four pilot projects two each : Roses and cucumber (UMB) Cod health in fry and brood fish production (UiB) Operational meteorology (UiB) wawe theory and wave forecasting extreme events (forecasting of wind/precipitation) Competence development in social and cultural entrepreneurship in Aurland (UMB) Slide 20 20 Practical approach: I ntegrating professional development activity in R&D collaboration: At the beginning of the project: strengthen the users competence basis to participate actively in the project In the course of the project: establish meeting places for systematic and mutual learning and exchange of experience Towards the end of the project: tailor learning activities for groups of employees to support practical implementation of new knowledge Slide 21 21 SEVUs role: Project leader Process leader and facilitator Pedagogical coach and adviser Evaluator Slide 22 22 Research institute Company COMMON LEARNING PLACE KNOWLEDGE Theory-based Experience-based Increased competence Increased competence innovation Practice + new problems Theory + new research problems Research results Our model for mutual and double loop learning Slide 23 23 Four pilot projects - two each Roses and Cucumber Cod health in production of Extreme weather (Oceanography Slide 24 24 What did we do and how? Our model for our practical approach: Slide 25 25 Pilot project aims: Establish arenas for wholistic and long-range R&D collaboration between companies and university Mutual competence development between companies and university through Dialogue Mutual exchange of practical and theoretical knowledge and experience Joint planning, development, running and evaluation of Concrete learning activities/courses Research projects Slide 26 26 Pedagogical approach: Learner based Problem based work place / company Experience based Theory based Slide 27 27 Results and outcome - quality enhancement: More traditional outcome: Courses Learning materials Meetings Company representatives report: Increased knowledge More focus on and real change of working practices Improved and more frequent contact and dialogue with university Easier to contact university Increased interest in research initiatives and results Slide 28 28 Results and outcome - quality enhancement (cont.): University representatives / faculty report (cont.): Easier to contact companies Increased knowledge about working practices and challenges in companies Improved and more frequent contact and dialogue with companies New experience with applying problem based learning (PBL) in work place / companies Feasible with immediate integration of research results in courses - and also quickly let practical experience in companies influence research Slide 29 29 Results and outcome - quality enhancement (cont.): University representatives / faculty report (cont.): Permanent areas for dialogue with companies Better access to more and interesting research materials Input from companies about possible / necessary research fields Establishing (and funding) more research projects Slide 30 30 Results and outcome - quality enhancement (cont.): Centre for continuing education (SEVU): Improved and more frequent contact between SEVU and research groups - which has stimulated and facilitated more courses and professional development initiatives New experience with applying problem based learning (PBL) in work place / companies Experience with and learning from trying out new roles and tasks Slide 31 31 Results and outcome - quality enhancement (cont.): Centre for continuing education (SEVU): Improved competency in managing and facilitating learning processes - and coaching faculty Promotion of SEVUs competency, functions and tasks to new users: Companies (external) Faculty and departments at the university (internal) Particularly positive feedback about the usefulness of our function/role as process leaders! Slide 32 32 Slide 33 33 Thank you for your attention! Slide 34 34 Questions? Comments? Other input? Similar projects? Your experience? Slide 35 35 MODEL FOR COLLABORATIVE CONSTRUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE IN R&D PROJECTS Dialogue between researchers and collaborators (ie company managers and supervisors) representing Theory-based and Experience-based knowledge EXPERIMENTS -In production halls -In laboratories INTERPRETATION ANALYSIS GENERAL CONCLUSIONS PLANNING New experiments? New research problems? New action in the company ? PRELIMINARY RESULTS