Universities In Regional Development Research Articles

Взаимосвязь развития региона и функ­ционирования вузов (на примере Северо-Западного федерального округа)

The role of universities in regional socio-economic systems is pivotal. However, despite the overall trend of GRP growth, regions of Russia’s Northwestern Federal District underperform on education-related measures. These include the share of education in GRP, the percentage of individuals employed in the education sector and the number of universities and students. These trends pose a substantial challenge to regional development, especially in the context of the fourth industrial revolution and the rise of the knowledge economy. The lack of attention to the education sector may stem from the gross underestimation of its contribution to regional development. By implementing their ‘third mission’, universities exert influence on the economy, politics and socially responsible industries in their home region. A better understanding of the role of universities in regional development requires a comprehensive evaluation of their performance. This study aims to evaluate the performance of regional universities and examine its impact on regional socio-economic indicators. The paper proposes a methodology for evaluating the performance of regional universities and presents the results of its application in the regions of Russia’s Northwestern Federal District. The universities of the Arkhangelsk region and St Petersburg demonstrated the highest performance levels, whilst those of the Leningrad region were the lowest. Correlation analysis showed a significant connection between universities’ performance levels and the key socio-economic indicators of regional development. Universities’ performance levels vary significantly across Russia’s Northwestern regions. The findings may interest researchers studying regional development issues and administrators of universities prioritising the implementation of the third mission. Additionally, the results can inform decisions regarding the advancement of higher education at the regional level within the Northwestern Federal District.

UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITIES AS CLUSTERS OF REGIONAL SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: INSPIRATIONS FROM EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE

The experience of regional cooperation of certain European universities, which occupy leading positions in ARWU, is analyzed. Based on the understanding of the experience and best practices, directions of the possible influence of Ukrainian universities on the socioeconomic development of the country's regions are substantiated.In European science and practice, the following areas of cooperation between universities and regions are developed: the role of universities in accelerating innovative regional development, the social mission of universities in regional development, strategic management of the university in the context of regional development, management of regional development partnerships. Measurable indicators of the effectiveness of regional engagement are the share of university graduates employed in the region, the share of regional sources in financing the university, students’ internships carried out in the region, and joint publications. Analysis of strategic documents of Ukrainian universities included in the international economic engagement ranking UMultirank proved the practical absence of a vision of the value of cooperation of these universities with regional stakeholders and limited practice of interaction with them.The regional engagement policy of European universities is a key element of strategies. One of the most significant strategic goals of EU universities is to increase cultural, societal and economic impact at both local and regional levels. It was determined that universities are recognized as a leading force in society that contributes to democracy and sustainable development. Their impact on regional economic development is embodied by the support of qualified jobs, improvement of the supply of trained professionals, competence provision on the regional level, fostering a knowledge-based economy. Impact on solving regional societal problems is embodied by reaching out to non-traditional learners from the community, contributing to the resolution of societal problems, and offering programs for vulnerable groups. Universities also contribute to a wider spread of innovative and management culture, decision-making processes and policy advice in sector reforms.

Higher education and regional development of Shenzhen municipality in China’s greater bay area

Shenzhen City in Southeast China has developed from a small fishing village into a modern metropolis since China adopted an open-door policy in 1978. In accordance with its national plan and strategy, China has been striving to develop its international Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA). Owing to its rapidly developing economy, industries and innovative technologies, Shenzhen is an important city in the GBA. Shenzhen’s higher education (HE) is supposedly crucial for its advancement as an innovation hub. However, the HE in Shenzhen is reportedly not adept with the city’s economic development. Although some Chinese studies have focused on Shenzhen’s HE-related issues, such as integration of and co-operation with the GBA’s policies, not many international studies have assessed how universities can help to ensure overall regional development. Thus, in this study, using Shenzhen’s case in the GBA, we explore the roles of universities in regional development. We review several policy documents and literature based on the glonacal framework to collect relevant data in text and generated themes. The study findings address the critical roles of Shenzhen universities in regional development such as promoting research capacity, fostering international collaboration and upgrading the GBA’s HE sector.

The role of universities in regional development

This article examines the legal and organizational issues of the role of universities in the development of regions. The purpose of the study is to determine the models of cooperation between universities in the development of regions. Methodology. In the course of the study, logical and formal-legal methods of analysis of individual regulatory legal acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan were used. The legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan regulating the issues of strategic planning, ownership of universities as legal entities, missions of universities and achievement of the stated goals, the organizational and legal form of universities, corporate governance bodies, requirements for members of the board of directors of universities were studied. Along with this, this study is based on international publications in the fi eld of higher education management, the place of development strategy in achieving sustainable development goals. Originality / value of research. We built our research on the analysis of the best universities in Kazakhstan according to the results of the IQAA-2020 ratings, since it was these universities that showed good practice of interaction with the regions. Along with this, the strengths and weaknesses of such interaction were identified to determine the further development path. Findings. The research has shown that many Kazakhstani universities do not quite clearly understand the role of universities in the development of regions and the performance of a social function. The lack of a clear understanding of the function assigned to the university by the society leads to the fact that universities do not see key priorities in such cooperation. The study made it possible to draw some conclusions and develop recommendations that are important for continuing eff orts in this direction. Universities should view this interaction as an important, strategic direction for their work and build on established practices.

Assessing the Contribution of Higher Education to Regional Development

The paper deals with the issue of assessing the contribution of higher education to regional development. The study aims to analyze new ways of assessing the contribution of universities to regional development using such indicators as (1) their contribution to the local economy, (2) their role in human capital development, and (3) their contribution to the regional innovation system. We offer an objective assessment of the contribution of higher education to the regional economy by determining the relationship between personnel training and industrial specialization characteristics. Admissions are assigned to the transparency of regional education systems and the migration of university graduates. In general, regional industry specialization justifies regional contribution to the national gross domestic product. Therefore, regions that produce goods with a high share of value-added will always have advantages. The authors argue that quantitative indicators for assessing the role of universities in regional development should be supplemented with the results of sociological surveys that can be posted on digital platforms and services.

Integration of Higher Education Institutions to Address the Challenges of Regional Socio-Economic Development

Recently, the topic of regional development has become particularly relevant since regions are gaining more and more autonomy in solving their socio-economic issues. This transformation results in the concern of how to find potential partners for building a regional development strategy, sharing resources and competencies. In this context, it is advisable to consider universities as a significant potential partner. In particular, it is necessary to analyse their role and capabilities in creating a regional strategy, the most relevant forms of interaction, and indicators for assessing the effectiveness of the universities’ integration to address the challenges of regional development. We applied the expert interview method and discussed the problem with representatives of 28 Russian universities who occupy top managerial positions and have an expert opinion on key issues. Based on the analysis of empirical material, we identified three main roles of universities in regional development: a project initiator, a partner, and a source of human and analytical resources. During the resource assessment, we determined that funding is the only scarce resource for universities, while all other resources and competencies can be quickly mobilised if necessary. The most effective mechanisms for integrating universities to address regional challenges are a consortium of universities and the organisation of project offices with the participation of government and business representatives. The main research result was the identification of quantitative and qualitative criteria characterising the universities’ involvement in solving socio-economic issues of regional development, as well as indicators, which are necessary for their definition. Additionally, we discovered a previously unidentified information and administration group among the quantitative criteria and defined the main stages of assessing the effectiveness of such integration. In regards to the considered issue, a promising direction for further research would be a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of the universities’ integration to address social and economic challenges in different regions of the Russian Federation.

Discussing the Role of Universities in Fostering Regional Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Over the past two decades, various policies have been implemented on an international and national level to support regional competitiveness, in which Universities are often called on to play a crucial role. Taking into account their contribution to the combined performance of education, the advanced research and the networking of knowledge, Universities are recognized as knowledge-intensive institutions and environments that foster human capital development, innovation and entrepreneurship. According to the current practice, Universities include in their mission not only a generalized transfer of know-how, but also the promotion of business thinking and entrepreneurial culture, the establishment of institutions, actions as well as the creation of venture capital, thus contributing further to the promotion of regional entrepreneurial ecosystems. By examining the entrepreneurship development in teaching and learning through the various actions of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Units of the Greek Universities between 2011 and 2015, the present article aims at assessing the contribution of the Greek Universities to the fostering of regional entrepreneurial ecosystems, making a comparative evaluation of them and strengthening the role of the Greek Universities in regional entrepreneurial ecosystems. Firstly, the theoretical approaches of regional entrepreneurial ecosystems as well as the role of Universities in Regional Development are examined and analyzed. Secondly, it is attempted to record the role of the Greek Universities through the collection and processing of innovation information and actions, utilizing, as a case study, the structures of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Units. Thirdly, taking into account the results of the research, proposals for the national and regional policy are made.

The Role of Siirt University in Regional Development

The Role of Siirt University in Regional Development

Catalan universities and the entrepreneurial discovery process

This article provides new insights into the role of public universities in regional development by looking at their involvement in Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialization (RIS3), a key element of the current European Cohesion Policy. In the latter, stakeholders from the triple or Quadruple Helix (public, private, research and nongovernmental sectors) jointly identify areas for research, development and innovation (RDI) investment. The analysis focuses on the region of Catalonia, which hosts a mix of higher education institutions (HEIs) with different characteristics and different relationships with local innovation stakeholders. The authors examine in-depth one of the main RIS3 funding instruments recently implemented in the region: the Research and Innovation Smart Specialization Strategy for Catalonia Communities. The Communities support the implementation of action plans for industrial research and development, jointly defined by research and private-sector stakeholders in RIS3 strategic areas. The instrument embeds the characteristics of a continuous EDP and enables exploration of the challenges and opportunities that emerge when researchers engage in strategic market-oriented RDI activities. The article highlights how HEIs are evolving and adapting to the new policy environment and concludes with policy implications.

Higher Education Institutions in Peripheral Regions: A Literature Review and Framework of Analysis

This paper addresses the issue of universities’ engagement in peripheral regions, taking into account both endogenous (university) and exogenous (regional peripherality) characteristics. The paper aims to deconstruct the university – periphery interplay in the form of a novel analytical framework and to pilot the framework empirically. The pilot mapping of six Norwegian and Czech universities onto the peripheral regions resulted in two implications. First, due to regional lag effects on the industrial – post-industrial development scale and institutional profiling, universities’ regional role is contingent on path dependencies, suggesting that both exogenous and endogenous characteristics should be given equal consideration. Second, the universities’ positioning in peripheral regional surroundings produces some variants in which universities’ engagement is not pivotal for improving regional attributes. This is either because of the incapacity of unlocking the path-dependent effects of regional periphery structures or because of limitations in research capacity, constraining the respective regions’ progress to the knowledge/service society paradigm. Further explorations of these issues may create an impetus for comparative studies on the role of universities in regional development, particularly with respect to peripheral units.

The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Fostering Industry Clusters in Peripheral Regions: Strategies, Actors and Outcomes

Despite new empirical insights on the topic, the role of the universities in regional development is far from clear. Some regions with strong universities manage to benefit from technological spillovers, while others fail to develop strong industry–university connections, which leaves the research potential of the university largely unutilized. This paper investigates the role played by universities in the development of industrial clusters in two peripheral regions in Norway and the Czech Republic. In so doing, we contrast between a more and a less successful case scenario shedding light on key contextual factors, including the importance attributed to top-down versus bottom-up approaches. The paper contributes with new empirical insights on the role of higher education institutions in regional cluster development.

An Intellectual Capital framework to measure universities' third mission activities

Third mission activities of universities are related to the generation, use, application and exploitation of knowledge with external stakeholders and society in general. Third mission cannot be considered as a residual function but complementary to the other two missions of universities: teaching and research. Performance criteria for measuring the third mission stream of universities have now become crucial. The call for performance measures is also driven by the European policy framework such as the definition of Smart Specialisation strategies (RIS3) which highlight the key the role of universities in regional development. In an attempt to cover this gap, the paper proposes a new conceptual framework based on Intellectual Capital approaches to measure third mission activities of universities. The framework establishes a generic approach for systematically analysing third stream activities in universities. Moving from the third mission goals, it focuses on three interrelated areas: research, i.e. technology transfer and innovation, teaching, i.e. lifelong learning and continuing education, as well as, social engagement in line with regional and national development. A first exploration of the framework in four European universities approaching third mission performance is provided to discuss implementation opportunities. Finally, theoretical and empirical implications are discussed indicating avenues for moving ahead academic research.

O impacto da universidade pública no desenvolvimento regional sob a luz da literatura internacional / The Impact of the public university in regional development from the perspective of international literature

Resumo
 O objetivo deste artigo é rever, a partir de seu confronto com a discussão internacional sobre o assunto, o modelo analítico proposto por Hoff, San Martin e Sopeña (2011) para a análise do impacto das universidades públicas no desenvolvimento regional. O modelo, originalmente, foi desenvolvido a partir de referências nacionais para o tema. Para tanto, utiliza-se a técnica de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. O referencial teórico estudado demonstra que o modelo analítico estabelecido com referências nacionais mostra-se correspondente à discussão apresentada pela literatura internacional sobre o tema. Destaca-se, no entanto, que a literatura internacional apresenta enfoque direcionado às relações com o ambiente externo à universidade, principalmente com o meio empresarial, fato não tão presente na literatura nacional. Conclui-se que a literatura internacional ratifica o modelo proposto por Hoff, San Martin e Sopeña (2011).
 
 Abstract
 The purpose of this article is to review, from its confrontation with the international discussion, the analytical model proposed by Hoff, San Martin and Sopeña (2011) to analyze the impact of public universities in regional development. The model originally was developed from national reference to the subject. Therefore using the bibliographic and documentary research technique. The studied theoretical framework shows that the analytical model established with national references is shown corresponding to the discussion presented in the international literature on the subject. Noteworthy, however, that the present international literature focusing mainly on relations with the external environment to the university, especially with the business community, which was not so present in the national literature. We conclude that the international literature confirms the model proposed by Hoff, San Martin and Sopeña (2011).

El desarrollo regional como responsabilidad social de la universidad. Caso del ecoturismo en la provincia de Tungurahua

El rol de la universidad en el desarrollo regional es objeto de reflexión en este artículo mediante el análisis de un caso concreto: el desarrollo del ecoturismo en la provincia de Tungurahua, en Ecuador, por medio del programa Prometeo de la Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia Tecnología e Innovación con la Universidad Técnica de Ambato. La responsabilidad social universitaria como concepto se presenta mediante la articulación de la metodología de investigación acción participativa, en la cual el proceso de análisis y propuesta de acciones a desarrollar son producto del diálogo y acuerdos entre actores de la academia y los sectores público y privado. Las conclusiones apuntan a que el desarrollo del ecoturismo, como necesidad identificada en el cambio de matriz productiva, requiere de una universidad que desde la interacción con grupos de interés sea catalizadora de los intereses de las diferentes partes y anteponga el trabajo participativo que garantice una visión conjunta en un área interdisciplinar como el turismo. © Revista Colombiana de Ciencias Sociales.

The Role of Universities in Regional Development: Conceptual Models and Policy Institutions in the UK, Sweden and Austria

The literature on universities’ contributions to regional development is broad and diverse. A precise understanding of how regions may draw advantages from various university activities and the role of public policy institutions in promoting such activities is still missing. The aim of this paper is to provide a framework for analysing universities’ contributions to regional economic and societal development in differing national contexts and the policy institutions that underpin them. To do this, we review four conceptual models: the entrepreneurial university model, the regional innovation system (RIS) model, the mode 2 university model and the engaged university model. The paper demonstrates that these four models emphasize very different activities and outputs by which universities are seen to benefit regional economy and society. It is also shown that these models differ markedly with respect to the policy implications and practice. Analysing some of the public policy imperatives and incentives in the UK, Austria and Sweden, the paper highlights that in the UK, policies encourage all four university models. In contrast, in Sweden and Austria, policy institutions tend to privilege the RIS university model, whilst at the same time, there is some evidence for increasing support of the entrepreneurial university model.

Delivering smart specialization in peripheral regions: the role of Universities

Successful mobilization of the resources of universities can have a positive effect on regional economies; even more so in peripheral regions. The role of universities in regional development, innovation and growth comes into even sharper focus with the emergence of ‘smart specialization’ strategies, an ex-ante conditionality for accessing European Structural Funds from 2014. However, partnerships between universities and regions can fail to achieve their early ambitions, often due to a lack of understanding of each side’s drivers and barriers for cooperation. The collaboration between Region Värmland and Karlstad University in Sweden demonstrates a systemic and broad-based view of innovation that fits well within the policy framework of European and national innovation strategies. While recognizing the complexities and tensions inherent in such collaborations, this case study provides valuable insights for other European universities, regions and policy-makers in peripheral places that are seeking to work more closely to support smart specialization.

The Spatial Concomitance of Former Bantu Universities with Uneven Regional Development in a Democratic South Africa

The salience of universities in regional development has increased with the ascendancy of corporatization of public utilities, especially given the pre-eminence of the notion that these institutions create and enforce “learning regions” wherein knowledge generated is used for the enhancement of economic productivity and innovativeness. Under South Africa’s state capitalism, most state-backed corporations have literally gobbled public funds, insisted on increased autonomy and behaved like private multinational companies, whilst their regional development impacts remained inconclusive. A reasonable geographic perspective should hold that, notwithstanding the effects of globalization, universities’ regional development impacts are strongly “attenuated over space and distance”. In this context, a democratic South Africa’s restructuring of the higher education system should raise vexed questions of the regional development impacts of the former Bantu Universities. Given the significance of knowledge and research to regional development, this article concludes that Limpopo and Eastern Cape Province as well as Northern Cape and Mpumalanga Province, which are in the process of establishing their first universities, will continue to lag behind Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and North West Province. It argues that the heightened public financial support to former Bantu Universities will remain a public opportunity-cost because these institutions’ orientation, as per their apartheid spatial-fix, is not amenable to the establishment of “learning regions”. The article concludes that under state capitalism former Bantu Universities are denied their traditional contributions to the viability of informal businesses, simultaneously as their potential capacity to create and enforce “learning regions” remains virtually non-existent. Given the spatial-fix of the racially-inspired higher education landscape, the article concedes that corporatization of public utilities under democracy needs to be supplemented by deliberate state effort to build knowledge transfer networks with local and extra-local universities in a structure that deliberately embeds the less favoured regions and foster the spirit of innovation therein. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p863

Obrazovanje za kulturu i turizam u kontekstu europskih integracija - prikaz istraživanja o potrebi uvođenja diplomskog studija Kultura i turizam na pulskom sveučilištu

Rad se bavi ulogom sveučilišta u regionalnom razvoju u kontekstu europskih integracija, s posebnim naglaskom na važnost obrazovanja za interdisciplinarno područje kulture i turizma kao strateških razvojnih odrednica regija koje svoju međunarodnu konkurentnost temelje na jedinstvenim i visokovrijednim kulturnim resursima i očuvanoj prirodnoj baštini. Sveučilišta su institucije koje imaju ključnu ulogu u promicanju znanja, očuvanju kulturnog identiteta, interkulturalnoj komunikaciji i razvoju europske zajednice naroda: ona istovremeno njeguju temeljne europske vrijednosti i kulturu te potiču uravnoteženi razvoj, uz uvažavanje različitosti kultura i jezika. U uvjetima globalizacije i novih oblika regionalnog povezivanja, sveučilišta se pozicioniraju kao regionalni centri znanstvene i istraživačke izvrsnosti, čuvari i promicatelji intelektualne i znanstvene baštine, kreatori održivog razvoja i mostovi prema drugim kulturama. Ponuda studijskih programa trebala bi pritom pratiti i usklađivati globalne trendove s lokalnim potrebama, imajući u vidu kompetencije potrebne za rad i život u širem europskom i svjetskom okruženju. Obrazovanje za kulturu i turizam u tom se kontekstu pozicionira kao ključni interdisciplinarni profil, koji osposobljava stručnjake za komuniciranje i poslovanje u multikulturnom svijetu. U radu su prikazani rezultati istraživanja stavova studenata, nastavnika i stručnjaka o potrebi osnivanja diplomskog studija Kulture i turizma na Sveučilištu Jurja Dobrile u Puli.

Review of "The Community Engagement and Service Mission of Universities"

Inman, P., & Schuetze, H.G. (Eds.) (2010). The Community Engagement and Service Mission of Universities. Leicester: National Institute of Adult Continuing Education. Pages: 342. Price USD $27.70 (paperback).This book is a collection of papers based on presentations at a conference hosted by PASCAL International Observatory and the Centre for Policy Studies in Higher Education and Training at the University of British Columbia in May, 2009 in Vancouver. One purpose of the conference was to advance the work of PASCAL's PURE project (PASCAL Universities' Regional Engagement). This major research initiative seeks to arrive at a better understanding of the 'third mission' of universities and to promote the concept that universities must be engaged with their regions and that regions should consider universities and higher education institutions to be one of their greatest assets for regional cultural, social, and economic development. The project takes as its starting point that teaching and research are the first two missions of a university and that engagement with their regions or communities is often considered a mission.The Community Engagement and Service Mission of Universities provides useful descriptions of some contemporary activities taking place around the world, but mostly in America. The introduction by the editors includes a quick sketch of the contents of each chapter, but leads off with a useful short explanation of the PASCAL International Observatory and its origins in a series of conferences and related studies of learning cities and learning regions sponsored by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It also includes a discussion of the somewhat nebulous and disputed concept of the third mission of universities.Six of the eighteen chapters, along with the introductory chapter by the editors, address broad issues related to the role of universities in regional development and their third variously defined, including trends affecting re-conceptions of the mission, lessons to be learned from tensions in engagement, particular problems in engaging in regional economic development, benchmarking engagement, measuring the impact of partnerships, and institutionalizing university community engagement. Several authors address the thorny issues of rewarding service activities and dealing with collective agreements in universities.The remaining 12 chapters are grouped in Part 2 of the volume, titled North American perspectives and experience and recall a richer history of engagement in the United States than is generally acknowledged and draw insights from a range of case studies of engagement by universities chiefly in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Much is made of the importance of leadership, respectful and mutually beneficial partnerships, and adequate financing; the critical significance of understanding power imbalances in partnerships; and of the relevance of context. Several papers focus on very specific communities, including rural Mexico, Aboriginal communities, and francophone communities in Canada outside Quebec. One addresses 'translational science' as a way of engaging the communities of practice in clinics and industry to help improve operational protocols, help research innovations become marketable products, and contribute to scientific governance and policy development. …

The University and the Region: An Australian Perspective

This article examines the role of universities in regional development. It is a response toHarloe and Perry’s call for empirical case studies of different types of higher educationinstitutions operating in different regional and national systems and circumstances, inorder to reveal the links between contemporary social and economic transitions andchanges in higher education and its institutions. The article situates the contemporarytransformation of the Australian university in the context of the global tension betweenthe pursuit of excellence and accessibility. It shows the particular way in which thistension is expressed in the context of a distinctive Australian political economy of highereducation through a case study of one of Australia’s leading universities.