Overview

An international conference jointly organised with the Technical University of Valencia and supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, Regional Government of Valencia and Fundacion CYD.

Globalisation has increased the comparative advantange of regions that can successfully create the best conditions for growth. HEIs build human capital, strength innovation and enhance the social and cultural fabric that ensures that innovation can thrive. They also provide global gateways to local companies. There is evidence of a positive link between investments in regional innovation systems and economic competitiveness and that regional engagement and world class research excellence can be complementary goals for HEIs, the one reinforcing the other.

This conference, which brought together 200 participants from 22 countries, launched the final synthesis report  of the 3-year OECD study which focused on higher education and regions.

The main conclusions were that:

• There is a need for stronger links between HEIs and their regions. HEIs should widen their service portfolio embracing the whole range of of issues from economic to social, cultural and environmental development and engage in the development and implementation of regional and urban strategies. They should also be prepared to address the needs of wider range of firms and other employers.
• To mobilise the full potential of HEIs governments should enhance the institutional autonomy of HEIs by increasing their responsibility over curriculum and the use of their human, financial and physical resources. Proper incentives and accountability schemes to assess the impact of the performance of HEIs need to be in place.
• OECD will continue to work with regions and HEIs to drive this agenda forward through further reviews. It will also facilitate the establishment of reliable indicators and aims to provide a forum for enhanced partnership-building process between governments, universities and regions.

Conference programme

List of Speakers

Conference Report by Aims McGuinness 

Plenary Presentations

Keynote speech : Universities and regional economic development: a strategic perspective.
Sir. Howard Newby, Vice-Chancellor, University of the West of England
Powerpoint

 

Supporting the contribution of HEIs to regional development: Outcomes of the OECD review project of 14 regions in 12 countries.
John Goddard, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Powerpoint
Paper

 

HEIs and regions: reflecting on the outcomes and recommendations of the OECD project
Panel Session

Emilio Barberá Guillem, Secretario Autonómico de Universidad, Ciencia y Tecnología, Valencia Region
Powerpoint
Natalija Kazlauskiene, European Commission - DG Regional Policy
Powerpoint
Minister Christoffer Taxell, Chancellor, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
Powerpoint
Christine Scholz, European Students' Union
Powerpoint
Paper

 

Broadening the perspective: Tying the local to the global in the knowledge-based economy
Roundtable session
Paul Callaghan, The Leighton Group, UK
Powerpoint
Mark Drabenstott, Chair, University of Missouri-Columbia ; OECD Territorial Development Policy Committee
Powerpoint
Daniel Samoilovich, Association Columbus and Torino Wireless Foundation
Powerpoint
Diem Ho, IBM Europe, Middle East and Africa
Powerpoint

Implications for policy: Unlocking the potential of higher education
Panel discussion
Rachel Bard, Deputy Minister of the Department of Post-secondary Education, Training and Labour, New Brunswick, Canada
Powerpoint

Paper
Seok-Wham Oh, Executive Director, BK21-NURI Management Committee, Korea Research Foundation
Powerpoint
Aims McGuinness, Senior Associate, NCHEMS, US
Powerpoint
Riccardo Viale, President of Fondazione Rosselli, Italy
Powerpoint

Workgroup Presentations

Higher education institutions and business innovation

Regional growth though collaboration: Sweden after the review: action at all levels
Per Fredriksson, Karlstad University, Sweden
Anders Olsson, Region Värmland, Sweden
Susanne Andersson, Vinnova, Sweden
Powerpoint

Knowledge House: serving the business sector in the North East of England
Allan Sanderson and Paul Benneworth, Northumbria University, UK
Powerpoint
Paper

Universities and Community Colleges: Key contributors to business innovation in Atlantic Canada
Cyril Farrell, Atlantic Provinces Community College Consortium, Canada
Wade Locke, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada
Powerpoint

Science and technology politics and policy: A comparative look at efforts to bolster innovation
John Aubrey Douglass, UC Berkeley, US
Powerpoint

Higher education institutions and human capital development

Lapland's Provincial University: Building human capital and supporting innovation in a sparsely populated remote region
Eero Pekkarinen, Kemi-Tornio University for Applied Sciences, Finland
Powerpoint
Paper
Increasing higher education attainment - emerging policy agenda in the US
Dewayne Matthews, Lumina Foundation for Education, USA
Powerpoint

Climbing down from our ivory towers: working in our community with enlightening self interest
Sal Brinton, Association of Universities in the East of England, UK
Penny Wilson, Cambridge University, UK
Powerpoint
 
Region building in Korea through cross-border higher education: The Case of Handong Global University
Young-Gil Kim, Handong Global University, South Korea
Powerpoint
Paper

Higher education institutions and social, cultural and sustainable development

Higher Education's role in Sustainable Development: what is possible and what has been achieved?
Andy Johnston, Forum for the Future, UK
Powerpoint

HEIs and the Creative and Cultural Sector in Regions: Case Study of NE England
Helen Pickering, Universities of the North East, UK
Powerpoint

Ensuring sustainable development of Korean regions: Participation of HEIs in after-school programmes
Sang-Hoon Bae, International Cooperation Team, Human Resources Policy Office, Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, Korea
Jang-Soo Ryu, Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development / Pukyong National University
Eugene Yoon, Korea Education Development Institute, Korea
Powerpoint
Mandatory Social Service in Mexico: Students as change agents in regions Mario Garcia-Valdez, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Powerpoint

Governance and management of higher education institutions

Lessons learnt in management and governance: A comparative look at HEIs in three regions in Canada, Mexico, Brazil
Francisco Marmolejo, Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (CONAHEC)
Powerpoint

Balancing competing agendas: the dilemma of the modern university. The USQ experience
Bill Lovegrove, University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Powerpoint

Transforming a HEI into a responsive and entrepreneurial institution - experiences from Charles Darwin University
Helen Garnett, Vice-Chancellor, Charles Darwin University, Australia
Powerpoint

 

Capacity building: brokers and facilitators in regional development

Brokers and facilitators in the development of Atlantic Canada
Elizabeth Beale, Atlantic provinces Economic Council (APEC), Canada
Wade AuCoin, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Canada
Powerpoint

The role of higher education regional associations (HERAs) in regional development: case study of "Universities for the North East" (England)
Helen Pickering, Universities of the North East, UK
Powerpoint

Constructing engagement between a provincial government and regional consortium of HEIs in South Africa
Judith Favish, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Robert Woodward, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Johann Groenewald, University of Stellenbosch
Powerpoint

Evaluation and measurement of outcomes

Measures, metrics and methods: New approaches to capturing the impact of Higher Education
Ursula Kelly, University of Strathclyde ,UK
Powerpoint
Paper

Benchmarking university community engagement: Development of a national approach in Australia
Steve Garlick, University of Sunshine Coast, Australia
Powerpoint

Measuring impact and social interaction of universities in Finland
Jukka Lahtonen, University of Iyväskylä, Finland
Powerpoint
Paper