Nearly 120 representatives of universities, regional development agencies, local and national government and the business sector gathered in Copenhagen for a wrap-up conference of the IMHE project on higher education and regional development.

The conference gave an opportunity to the 14 regions participating in the review to share experiences with each other and the project leadership.

The key issues included:

• Balancing uneven development within and between regions
• Attracting to and retaining talent in the regions
• Meeting demands for world class research and teaching quality with regional and societal relevance
• Bridging the gap between HE and industry
• Developing competences in regional engagement in HEIs and their stakeholders

The conference was based on interactive work group sessions with more than 30 case studies from different regions.

The abstracts of the presentations

Read more about the project

 

Day 1: Monday 16 October

8.00 - 9.30 Registration open

9.30 - 9.45 Welcome to Copenhagen Business School, Jens Aaris Thisted, Dean of the Faculty of  Economics and Business Administration, CBS

9.45 - 10.00 Opening remarks, Richard Yelland, OECD/IMHE

10.00 - 11.00 Opening Plenary
Supporting the HEIs’ Contribution to Regional Development - Project outcome and issues for final report
John Goddard, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Academic Leader of the IMHE project
Discussion
Text

11.00 - 11.30 Coffee

11.30 - 13.00 National and Regional Incentives and Barriers for Regional Engagement by HEIs

In many OECD countries, HE legislation includes a formal requirement for a third role, alongside teaching and research, which may embrace a contribution to regional development. This session looks into the incentives and barriers that are in place to support or impede the active pursuit of this regional role. The burning questions include: are the pursuit for “world class” academic excellence and regional engagement conflicting or complementary aims? How to measure the regional impact and input of HEI?

Moderator John Goddard

Panel discussion with:

- SangHoon Bae  from the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development in Korea,
- John Rushforth, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West of England,
- Rector Christina Ullenius from Karlstad University in Sweden,
- Frans van Vught, FVV Consultancy (former Rector and President of the University of Twente, The Netherlands),
- Reynold Gonzalez from Monterrrey Ciudad Internacional del Conocimiento, Mexico.
Discussion

13.00 - 14.30 Lunch

14.30 - 16.00 Work Group Session 1 Challenges and Solutions in Building Human Capital, Attracting and Retaining Talent and Widening Participation

Managing Human Capital and Human Resources Development plays a key role in regional development. In this session we look into the different solutions in different regions.
Moderated discussion in three groups:
 
Group 1 – Minority and Gender Related Issues

Chair Steve Garlick
- From Minority to Majority: The Changing Dynamics of Race in US Higher Education - Dewayne Matthews (Research Director, Lumina Foundation, US)
Powerpoint

- Innovation Systems and Homosocial Structures. Gender Related Obstacles to Growth and What to Do with Them: a Case Study from Värmland, Sweden - Gerd Lindgren (University of Karlstad)
Powerpoint

Group 2 – Widening Participation

Chair John Rushforth
- Different Universities, Different Approaches, Different Communities:  Widening Participation into Higher Education in NE England - Katharine Ridley (Head of Regional Regeneration, Durham University), Laura Woods (Director, Academic Enterprise, University of Teesside), Oisin MacNamara (Director of Research, Regional and European Affairs, Northumbria University).
Powerpoint 

- Expansion of Higher Education in Mexico. How to Guarantee Regionally Relevant Education? - Eugenio Cetina Vadillo (Ministry of Public Education, Mexico)
Powerpoint 

Group 3 – Attracting and Retaining Talent

Chair Peter Arbo
- Attracting and Retaining Skilled Labour in the Face of Strong Competing Demand – The Role of Community Colleges and Universities in Atlantic Canada - Rob Greenwood and Wade Locke (Memorial University of Newfoundland)
Powerpoint

- Fast Forward Retaining Talent: a Case Study from Twente, the Netherlands - Hans van der Stam (Saxion Universities of Applied Sciences)
Powerpoint

- TCM Denmark. Plant-Based Traditional Complementary Medicine - Linking the Global with the Local: a Case Study from Jutland-Funen in Denmark - Ole Callesen (Research Director, Danish Institute of Agricultural Science)
Powerpoint

16.00 - 16.30 Coffee
 

16.30 - 18.00 Work Group Session 2 Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Links with Industry

HEIs can play a key role in regional innovation systems and in making their regions more entrepreneurial. This session looks into different solutions on how to enhance enterprise formation, support the development of existing industry and to bridge the gap between HE and industry.
 Moderated discussion in four groups:
 
Group 1 – Advancing Entrepreneurship

Chair Steve Garlick
- TOP – Temporary Entrepreneurial Positions:  a Case Study from Twente - Peter van der Sijde (University of Twente)
Powerpoint

- Team Academy – Award-Winning Entrepreneurship Education from Finland - Jussi Halttunen (CEO, President, Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences)
Powerpoint

Group 2 – Bridging the Gap between HEIs and Industry

Chair John Rushforth
- Knowledge House – The Gateway to the North East of England’s Universities - Alan Sanderson (Regional Director, Knowledge House) and Paul Callaghan (Chairman, the Leighton Group)
Powerpoint

- The Success Story of the Castellon Tile Industry: From Traditional Industry to a World Leader - José-Luis Amorós Albaro and Carlos Feliu Mingarro (Instituto de Tecnologia Cerámica, Universitat Jaume I)
Powerpoint

- Alexandra Institute Ltd:  a Case Study from Aarhus, Denmark -  Ole Lehrmann Madsen (Alexandra Institute Ltd)
Powerpoint 

Group 3 – Knowledge Transfer on Legs

Chair Peter Arbo
- Problem Based Learning – Linking Students and Industry: a Case Study from Aalborg, Denmark -  Flemming K. Fink ( ELITE, Aalborg University)
Powerpoint

- Ideaportal – Student Projects in Regional SMEs: a Case Study from Trøndelag Region, Norway - Jan Onarheim (Senior Advisor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology)
Powerpoint

- Family Firm System: a Case Study from Busan - Joseph Jung (Dongseo University)
 Powerpoint

Group 4 – High Technology Cooperation

Chair Jose Gines Mora
- Newcastle Science City - Douglas Robertson (Director of Business Development, University of Newcastle upon Tyne)
Powerpoint

- From Research to Economic Growth - Sven-Thore Holm (CEO, Innovation Bridge South)
Powerpoint

- Science and Innovation Park in Valencia - Francisco Mora, (Vice-Rector, the Technical University of Valencia; Director, Ciudad Politecnica de la Innovacion)
Powerpoint

18.30 - 20.30 Reception  hosted by the University of Copenhagen and Øresund University
Address: Festsalen, Copenhagen University, Vor Frue Plads
 

Day 2: Tuesday 17 October

 

9.00 - 10.30 Work Group Session 3 Leadership, Capacity Building and Partnership Building for Regional Engagement

The OECD/IMHE project was designed to facilitate the partnership building process and leadership and competence in region building. This session looks into different solutions in different regions.
Moderated discussion in three groups:
 
Group 1 – Building Capacity at the Institutional and Individual Levels

Chair Steve Garlick
- HEI Management and QA System Supporting Regional Engagement:  a Case Study from Jyväskylä, Finland -  Johanna Heikkilä (Director of Strategic Management,  Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences)
Powerpoint

-Strategic Planning Tools to Improve HEI Accountability towards the Society:  a Case Study from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - Arturo Melián González, Francisco Quintana Navarro and Manuel Lobo Cabrera (Universidad Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) 
Powerpoint

- Rewarding Staff for Regional Engagement: a Case Study from Sunshine-Fraser Coast - Paul Thomas (Vice-Chancellor,  University of Sunshine Cost)
Powerpoint

Group 2 – HEI Collaboration in Regional Engagement

Chair John Rushforth
- Higher Education Regional Associations in Support of Regional Development: a Case Study Based on the Universities for the North East of England - Helen Pickering (Executive Director, Universities for the NE) and Peter Allan (OECD Project Chair for  the NE of England and Consultant, Ward Hadaway, Newcastle)
Powerpoint

- University Cross-Border Collaboration: a Case Study from Øresund - Bengt Streijffert, Head of Department (Øresund University)
Powerpoint

Group 3 – Leadership in Regional Development

Chair Peter Arbo
- ABCs of Partnerships in Atlantic Canada: a Focus on Higher Eduation Institutions - Wade Aucoin (Senior Policy Analyst, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency) and Wade Locke (Memorial University of Newfoundland)
Powerpoint

- Building Regional Innovation Systems - RIS committees in Korea: a Case Study from Busan – Joseph Jung (Dongseo University) and Jang-Soo Ryu (Pukyong National University)
Powerpoint

- The Center  for Regional Competitiveness: Universities Helping U.S. Regions Compete in the Global Economy - Mark Drabenstock (Director, Center for Regional Competitiveness, University of Missouri-Columbia)
Powerpoint

10.30 – 11.00 Coffee

 

11.00 - 12.30 Work Group Session 4 Wider Approaches to Development: Contribution of HEIs to social, cultural and environmental development
Regional development is often thought of almost entirely in economic terms. The OECD/IMHE project, however, has a wider interpretation. In this session we look into the contribution of HEIs to social, cultural and environmental development. We also discuss resourcing and managing funding for wider approaches of development, as well as establishing key performance indicators for activities such as community outreach/cultural development/civic role.
 Moderated discussion in three groups:
 
Group 1 – Environmental Sustainability

Chair Steve Garlick
- Building Environmental Sustainability and Eco-Tourism: a Case Study of the World Heritage Listed Fraser Island -  Paul Thomas (Vice-Chancellor, University of Sunshine Cost)
Powerpoint

- Regional Renewable Energy in Central Finland - Jouko Korppi-Tommola (University of Jyväskylä)
Powerpoint

- Regional Network of Environmental Experts and Organizations for the Environmental Improvement of Busan: Busan Environmental Technology Center - Suk-Mo Lee and Dae-Seok Kang (Pukyong National University)
Powerpoint 

Group 2 – Culture and Creative Industries

Chair John Rushforth
- Contribution of Higher Education to Regional Cultural Redevelopment: the Case of  NE England - Helen Pickering ( Executive Director, Universities for the NE)
Powerpoint 

Group 3 – Health and Welfare

Chair Peter Arbo
- HEIs and Social Service: a Case Study from Nuevo León - Francisco Azcunaga (Rector, Universidad de Monterrey)
Powerpoint

- Turning Aging and Wellness into an Asset for the Region, Wellness Dream Lab and Gerocenter: a Case Study from the Jyväskylä Region - Juha Hautanen (Director of Development, Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes Ltd)
Powerpoint

12.30 – 14.00 Lunch
 
Afternoon sessions moderated by Richard Yelland, OECD/IMHE

14.00 – 15.00 Closing Plenary Session driven by participating regions:

What’s Next: How to continue the process regionally, nationally and internationally?
- Sang Hoon Bae (Ministry of Education and Human development, Korea)
Powerpoint

- Per Fredriksson (Karlstad University)
Powerpoint

15.00 - 15.30 Practice and Policy - Challenges for the future and closing remarks
Chris Duke