University Alliance Research Articles

EURECA-PRO: The European University on Responsible Consumption and Production

The European Commission (EC) called for proposals to form European University Alliances (EUA) in 2019 and 2020 to promote Europe’s universities competitiveness in the world and strengthen the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and European Research Area (ERA). With the objective to create a global educational core hub on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 “responsible consumption and production”, a consortium of seven universities, led by Montanuniversität Leoben, received a three-year funding in 2020 for the development of a European University on REsponsible Consumption And PROduction (EURECA-PRO).

Participative and Practical Goal-setting in Enterprise Systems Learning

ABSTRACT This research examines how dynamic course goal-setting can affect students’ enterprise systems learning and career choice, through a university alliance program. It also explores the learners’ cognitive and affective responses in this industry-academia collaboration. Applying the grounded theory method, we interpret the action-interaction among instructors, learners, and the enterprise software vendor while proposing a model of participative and practical goal-setting. Lastly, we discuss contributions to goal-setting theory and enterprise systems education and practical implications for similar course design and development.

Policy Considerations for African Food Systems: Towards the United Nations 2021 Food Systems Summit

Achieving food and nutrition security and ending hunger is a complex and multi-faceted global challenge, which requires urgent attention, particularly in Africa. To eliminate hunger, the continent needs to transition to new sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems that deliver nutritious food and a healthy planet for all. This paper discusses challenges and opportunities highlighted during the “Food Systems Transformation to Address the SDGs” session convened by the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and partners at the 8th World Sustainability Forum (WSF2020) held in September 2020. The paper reflects on how African food systems need to change to achieve the food systems related and interconnected the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also presents issues for consideration at the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit. Key considerations include (i) the realization that nutrition insecurity is not food insecurity, (ii) the need for Africa to actualize its potential, (iii) the need to demystify policy development processes; (iv) the need to invest in better measurements and indicators; and (v) the need to create nature-based climate-smart solutions

Lessons Learned in Developing Human Capital for the Oil and Gas Industry in Kazakhstan

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 201272, “Lessons Learned in Developing Human Capital for the Oil and Gas Industry in Kazakhstan,” by Zhassulan Dairov, SPE, KIMEP University and Satbayev University; Murat Syzdykov, SPE, Satbayev University; and Jennifer Miskimins, SPE, Colorado School of Mines, prepared for the 2020 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, originally scheduled to be held in Denver, Colorado, 5–7 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Human Capital initiative has been implemented at Satbayev University (SU), Almaty, Kazakhstan, during the last 2 years. Participating in this effort are Chevron, Eni, Shell, and the Colorado School of Mines (Mines). The complete paper assesses the effectiveness of project components, such as industry guest lectures, summer internships, and program improvement, and provides lessons learned for human-resource-development initiatives. Introduction In most cases, the industry/ university alliance is intermittent, short-term, and underdeveloped. The engagement of three stakeholders, such as government, industry, and the university, is the most-successful model of joint performance. This approach allows all participants to create competitive advantages in the achievement of common objectives. Moreover, the role of governmental agencies is critical alongside professional organizations in facilitating such cooperation.

A quantitative view of the structure of institutional scientific collaborations using the example of Berlin

Abstract This paper examines the structure of scientific collaborations in Berlin as a specific case with a unique history of division and reunification. It aims to identify strategic organizational coalitions in a context with high sectoral diversity. We use publications data with at least one organization located in Berlin from 1996–2017 and their collaborators worldwide. We further investigate four members of the Berlin University Alliance (BUA), as a formerly established coalition in the region, through their self-represented research profiles compared with empirical results. Using a bipartite network modeling framework, we move beyond the uncontested trend towards team science and increasing internationalization. Our results show that BUA members shape the structure of scientific collaborations in the region. However, they are not collaborating cohesively in all fields and there are many smaller scientific actors involved in more internationalized collaborations in the region. Larger divides exist in some fields. Only Medical and Health Sciences have cohesive intraregional collaborations, which signals the success of the regional cooperation established in 2003. We explain possible underlying factors shaping the intraregional groupings and potential implications for regions worldwide. A major methodological contribution of this paper is evaluating the coverage and accuracy of different organization name disambiguation techniques.

University alliances and firm exploratory innovation: Evidence from therapeutic product development

This paper investigates the relationship between university alliances and firm exploratory innovation in the context of therapeutic product development. We build on organizational learning theory to elucidate that the use of university alliances is more positively associated with firm exploratory rather than exploitative innovation output. Moreover, we argue that the breadth of a firm's technological expertise strengthens the benefits of university alliances in the development of exploratory innovation output. Our empirical analysis is based on a panel dataset of 220 US therapeutic biotechnology firms from 2003 to 2010. Our findings support the contention that university alliances are differentially related to exploratory and exploitative innovation outcomes, and further indicate that firm technological breadth positively moderates the relationship between university alliances and firm exploratory innovation.

The strategic alliance of higher education institutions: Experience of contemporary Germany

Introduction. In the context of current trends in the development of the modern world, the successful solution of numerous socio-economic problems is possible only on the condition of effective functioning of higher education system, in which higher education institutions do not only implement the mission of providing society with high-quality and relevant educational services, but also carry out research and development of entrepreneurial nature. In this regard, search for opportunities to fulfill such missions currently takes precedence. The formation of alliances between higher education institutions can be considered as one of the promising mechanisms for performing such missions, as well as for integrative solution of issues in the field of public policy to support and develop higher education. In Russia, insufficient attention is paid to the issues of alliance formation within the sphere of higher education. Therefore, it is relevant to analyse foreign practices, i.e. a specific strategic alliance by higher educational institutions in Germany - The Berlin University Alliance.The aim of the present work is to contribute to the evidence base of research in the field of development of strategic cooperation between higher educational institutions, as well as to define the prospects for alliance formation through the analysis of foreign practices.Methodology and research methods. The methodological framework involves the following general scientific methods: systematisation and generalisation, structural and functional analysis, comparative and retrospective analysis of data from international rankings. The study was based on materials presented on the official Internet resources of “The Berlin University Alliance”, German programme “The Excellence Strategy”, international ranking agencies QS and THE, as well as scientific publications included in international citation databases Web of Science (RSCI) and Scopus.Results and scientific novelty. Based on established research, theoretical approaches to understanding the essence of alliances were structured; the criteria for classification of alliances were defined; the possibilities of alliances and factors, which serve as prerequisites for their formation, were investigated. The novelty of the current research lies in the fact that the author presents his own opinion on the phenomena in relation to such categories as “university alliance”, “strategic partnership” and “alliance formation”. Moreover, the author reports on the results obtained in the course of the analysis of the Berlin University Alliance as an example of the development of strategic partnership between higher education institutions in Germany.Practical significance. The present research may be a useful guideline for forming alliances between higher education institutions and generating new ideas for its development. The research outcomes can be used not only by the leaders of higher education institutions, but also by the experts and specialists involved in forming and implementing state policy in the field of higher education development.

Different Spreading Dynamics Throughout Germany During the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Link to Public Health Interventions

Background: The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic led to substantial differences in incidence rates across Germany. Methods: Assumption-free k-nearest neighbour clustering from the principal component analysis of weekly incidence rates of German counties groups similar spreading behaviour. Different spreading dynamics was analysed by the derivative plots of the temporal evolution of tuples [x(t),x’(t)] of weekly incidence rates and their derivatives. The effectiveness of the different shutdown measures in Germany during the second wave is assessed by the difference of weekly incidences before and after the respective time periods. Findings: The implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions of different extents resulted in four distinct time periods of complex, spatially diverse, and age-related spreading patterns during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Clustering gave three regions of coincident spreading characteristics. October 2020 showed a nationwide exponential growth of weekly incidence rates with a doubling time of 10 days. A partial shutdown during November 2020 decreased the overall infection rates by 20–40% with a plateau-like behaviour in northern and southwestern Germany. The eastern parts exhibited a further near-linear growth by 30–80%. Allover the incidence rates among people above 60 years still increased by 15–35% during partial shutdown measures. Only an extended shutdown led to a substantial decrease in incidence rates. These measures decreased the numbers among all age groups and in all regions by 15–45%. This decline until January 2021 was about -1∙25 times the October 2020 growth rates with a strong correlation of -0∙96. Interpretation: Three regional groups with different dynamics and different degrees of effectiveness of the applied measures were identified. The partial shutdown was moderately effective and at most stopped the exponential growth, but the spread remained partly plateau-like and regionally continued to grow in a nearly linear fashion. Only the extended shutdown reversed the linear growth.Funding Statement: Institutional support and physical resources were provided by the University Witten/ Herdecke and Kliniken der Stadt Köln, German ministry of education and research ‘Netzwerk Universitätsmedizin’ (NUM), egePan Unimed (01KX2021).Declaration of Interests: Dr. Karagiannidis reports personal fees from Maquet, personal fees from Xenios, personal fees from Bayer, non-financial support from Speaker of the German register of ICUs, grants from German Ministry of Research and Education, during the conduct of the study. Dr. Schuppert reports grants from Bayer AG, outside the submitted work. Dr. Jens Karschau has nothing to disclose. Dr. Polotzek has nothing to disclose. Dr. Schmitt reports personal fees from Sanofi, Lilly, ALK, Novartis, grants from Sanofi, Pfizer, ALK, Novartis, outside the submitted work. Dr. Busse reports grants from Berlin University Alliance, non-financial support from German Federal Ministry of Health, during the conduct of the study.

Development of Innovation Cooperation in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose: The aim of the article is to present the development of new partnerships and R&D alliances in the time of COVID-19 pandemic. Design/Methodology/Approach: The main method applied in this research was the scientific study. Descriptive, comparative, documentation and desk research methods were used. Additionally, the authors used the methods of deductive and inductive forecasting. Findings: The authors present new partnerships undertaken by biopharma (biotech and pharma) companies (in and outside the industry) in order to face pandemic and to discover and deliver a new vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 to the market. In addition, the research projects in the European Union focused on the development of diagnostics, treatments, vaccines, epidemiology, preparedness and response to outbreaks, socioeconomics, production and digital technologies as well infrastructures and data resources that make it possible this research will be presented. Practical Implications: It should be taken into consideration that due to the current situation caused by pandemic the cooperation of companies and all entities in the whole biopharmaceutical R&D innovation ecosystem is even more challenging than before COVID-19. Biopharma–university alliances can significantly increase the likelihood of creating better medical therapy for patients. Originality/value: Results of this cooperation enable a number of innovative projects given the significant pressure on innovativeness and challenges caused by the pandemic.

6-Month Follow Up of Hospitalised COVID-19 Patients: A Nationwide Cohort Study of 8679 Patients in Germany

Background: COVID-19 frequently necessitates inpatient treatment and inpatient mortality is high. Less is known about long-term outcomes in terms of mortality and readmissions. We provide a detailed account of hospitalised COVID-19 patients until 180 days after their initial hospital admission. Methods: An observational study with claims data from the German Local Health Care Funds of adult patients hospitalised in Germany between Feb 1 and April 30, 2020 with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 and a related principal diagnosis, for whom follow-up data for 180 days after admission or until death was available. A multivariable logistic regression model identified independent risk factors for 180-day mortality. Findings: Of 8679 patients with a median age of 72 years, 2161 (24·9%) died during the index hospitalisation. 30-day mortality was 23·9% (2073/8679), 90-day 27·9% (2425/8679), and 180-day 29·6% (2566/8679). The latter was 52·3% (1472/2817) for patients aged ≥80 years, 23·6% (1621/6865) if not ventilated during index hospitalisation but 53·0% in those ventilated invasively (853/1608). Risk factors for 180-day mortality included coagulopathy, BMI ≥ 40 and age, while female sex was a protective factor beyond fewer prevalence of comorbidities. Of 6235 patients discharged alive, 1668 patients were readmitted a total of 2551 times within 180 days, resulting in an overall readmission rate of 26·8%. Interpretation: 180 day-follow up data of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in a nationwide cohort representing almost one-third of the German population show considerable long-term mortality and readmission rates, especially among patients with coagulopathy, whereas women have a profound and long-lasting better clinical outcome compared to men. Funding: Funding Institutional support and physical resources were provided by the University Witten/Herdecke and Kliniken der Stadt Köln, the Federal Association of the Local Health Care Funds and the Technical University of Berlin. The latter also received a grant from the Berlin University Alliance (112_PreEP_Corona). Declaration of Interest: Dr. Busse reports grants from Berlin University Alliance, during the conduct of the study; grants from Federal Ministry of Research and Education, grants from Federal Ministry of Health, grants from Innovation Fonds of the Federal Joint Committee, grants from World Health Organization, outside the submitted work, Dr. Schuppert reports grants from Bayer AG, outside the submitted work. Dr. Karagiannidis reports personal fees from Maquet, personal fees from Xenios, personal fees from Bayer, non-financial support from Speaker of the German register of ICUs, grants from German Ministry of Research and Education, during the conduct of the study. Christian Günster, Melissa Spoden, Steffen Weber-Carstens, Gerhard Schillinger, Tanja Rombey and Dr. Hofmann have nothing to disclose. Ethical Approval: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Witten/Herdecke University (research ethics board number 92/2020).<br>

Development of Safe and Highly Protective Live-Attenuated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Candidates by Genome Recoding

Safe and effective vaccines are urgently needed to stop the pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We constructed a series of live attenuated vaccine candidates by large-scale recoding of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, and assessed their safety and efficacy in Syrian hamsters. Animals were vaccinated with a single dose of the respective recoded virus and challenged 21 days later. Two of the tested viruses did not cause clinical symptoms, but were highly immunogenic and induced strong protective immunity. Attenuated viruses replicated efficiently in the upper but not in the lower airways, causing only mild pulmonary histopathology. After challenge, hamsters developed no signs of disease and rapidly cleared challenge virus: at no time could infectious virus be recovered from the lungs of infected animals. The ease with which attenuated virus candidates can be produced and administered favors their further development as vaccines to combat the ongoing pandemic.Funding: This research was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), grant OS143/16-1 and COVID-19 grants from Freie Universität Berlin and Berlin University Alliance awarded to NO, the DFG grant SFB-TR84/Z01b awarded to ADG and JT and the SwissNational Science Foundation, grants 31CA30_196644, 31CA30_196062, and 310030_173085 awarded to VT.Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no competing interests.Ethical Approval: In vitro and animal work was done under biosafety conditions in the BSL-3 facility at the Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. All animal experiments wereapproved by the Landesamt für Gesundheit und Soziales in Berlin, Germany (permit number0086/20) and done in compliance with relevant national and international guidelines for care and humane use of animals.

Descriptive Analysis of Benchmarking in Respect to SMART/UNI-Q Systems’ Intellectual Integrations within the European Higher Education Area

Introduction. The strategy for the development of international education ERASMUS 20.30 stimulates the study of how intellectual integration programmes are introduced into the system of further education of universities around the world. The research is relevant, for studying the integration of intellectual potential in a single space of higher and further education EHEA allows to determine the efficacy of application of world benchmarking technologies in the management of SMART/UNI-Q systems and the convergence of world universities. The EU Education Department conditioned the significance of the research content by the target request to investigate the change in the benchmarking mission at the international education market and to make a thorough informational review of its application in the international activities of universities in the EU, CIS and the Russian Federation for the dissemination of information by international partner universities of ERASMUS central office. The study aims at identifying general and specific indicators of sustainable international partnerships that affect consumer demand at the international education and labour markets by means of concretization of an extensive descriptive analysis of the intellectual integration benchmarking and the description of the processes of benchmarking technology application, its scientific identification and implementation in individual universities, university alliances and consortia. Researchers were looking for an answer to the question: why, with high interest and theoretical recognition of technology benchmarking in quality management, universities show low rates of benchmarking in assessing the quality of their international activities. Materials and Methods. It is the first time that the research of benchmarking intellectual integrations in the university international activities uses the method of descriptive analysis. The study identifies active sectors of the SMART / UNI-Q benchmarking for the entire set of data voluntarily submitted by the universities participating in the projects of the Austrian Institute for Intellectual Integrations in the pre-pandemic period of 2017-2020. The participating countries have analyzed the share of key participants and the share of published benchmarking studies. The study analyzes the changes in the benchmarking mission in the international education market in accordance with the needs of global consumers. The analysis uses the data of the bases of the EU Department of Education, the ETINED platform and open-access European dissertation reviews portals. The research uses the WERGELAND European Resource Center data as the comparison point indicators. The study presents an analysis of five segments of international benchmarking: transparency, diversity, “product line”, digital activity, and digital management tools. Modus infographics shows the real, improved and ideal models. The applied comparative analysis studies the asynchrony of academic mobility during the COVID crisis. Results. The research findings show low value of efficiency indicators for the use of intellectual integration benchmarking in the international cooperation of university alliances. The predominance and stable efficiency in the use of benchmarking takes place at certain universities in Europe during periods of activity in implementing new strategies of international education and only for a short time most often during the periods of university accreditation. The model for overcoming sustainable development asynchronies in the management of SMART/UNI-Q systems according to the criterion of guaranteeing the quality of higher education in international cooperation EHEA is not final and today it is possible to characterize it through descriptive indicators. Amid the economic crisis and turbulence associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, a decline in large-scale academic mobility is an inevitable trend. However, due to the growing difference in the responses of economies and management in the field of higher vocational education between developed and less developed countries, as well as with the strengthening of general trends in economic integration, the number of academic migrants is likely to increase. Asynchrony, that is, unevenness, of opportunities and adaptation to the new digital environment of university consortia and the possibility to implement the opportunities in practice has become a psychological problem of scientific migration. Discussion and Conclusion. The materials of this article will be useful to CEO-s of international universities, heads of departments of international activities, employees of ERASMUS national offices, coordinators of ERASMUS+ projects, departments of continuing professional education and academic mobility in the development of promising strategies for external and internal benchmarking of inter-university projects of intellectual integration and international activity quality management.

The COVID-19 vaccines rush: participatory community engagement matters more than ever

The COVID-19 vaccines rush: participatory community engagement matters more than ever

Legitimacy, stratification, and internationalization in global higher education: the case of the International Association of Universities

The International Association of Universities (IAU) is the only inclusive global university association, its membership barriers are low, yet few universities are members despite considerable benefits. What determines membership in this long-standing international university alliance? Reviewing recent trends toward a more networked, stratified and internationalized global higher education field, we argue that universities with a greater need for legitimation and those ‘born’ into a global era are more likely to become members of an inclusive international network like the IAU. Thus, we expect lower status and younger universities to be more likely to join. We apply regression models to test hypotheses implied by these arguments. Our findings are consistent with these hypotheses, even after controlling for other factors. We discuss these findings using neo-institutional arguments about legitimacy and imprinted logics and suggest potential analytical avenues for further research.

Human Lungs Show Limited Permissiveness for SARS-CoV-2 Due to Scarce ACE2 Levels But Strong Virus-Induced Immune Activation in Alveolar Macrophages

SARS-CoV-2 utilizes the ACE2 transmembrane peptidase as essential cellular entry receptor. Several studies have suggested abundant ACE2 expression in the human lung, inferring strong permissiveness to SARS-CoV-2 infection with resultant alveolar damage and lung injury. Against this expectation, we provide evidence that ACE2 expression must be considered scarce, thereby limiting SARS-CoV-2 propagation in the human alveolus. Instead, spectral imaging of ex vivo infected human lungs and COVID-19 autopsy samples depicted that alveolar macrophages were frequently positive for SARS-CoV-2, indicating viral phagocytosis. Single-cell transcriptomics of SARS-CoV-2 infected human lung tissue further revealed strong inflammatory and anti-viral activation responses in macrophages and monocytes, comparable to those induced by MERS-CoV, but with virus-specific gene expression profiles. Collectively, our findings indicate that severe lung injury in COVID-19 likely results from an overwhelming immune activation rather than direct viral damage of the alveolar compartment.Funding: ACH, LES, SH were supported by Berlin University Alliance GC2 Global Health (Corona Virus Pre-Exploration Project). ACH, SH, TW and CD were supported by BMBF (RAPID) and ACH, SH by BMBF (alvBarriereCOVID-19). KH, LB, SL, SH, CD, TW, ACH were funded by BMBF (NFN-COVID 19, Organo-Strat). KH, NS, LES, MW, SH, ADG, CD, TW and ACH were supported by DFG (SFB-TR 84). ACH was supported by BIH, Charite 3R, and Charité-Zeiss MultiDim. KH was supported by BMBF (Camo-COVID-19). MW, NS and SH was supported by BMBF (PROVID). MW and NS was supported by BIH and BMBF (SYMPATH, CAPSyS, NAPKON). BO and DB were funded through the BIH Clinical Single Cell Bioinformatics Pipeline. LB was supported by the BMBF (CoIMMUNE), the DFG (KFO 342) and the IZKF of the Medical Faculty of the WWU. Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no competing interests.Ethical Approval: The study was approved by the ethics committee at the Charité clinic (projects EA2/079/13) and Ärztekammer Westfalen-Lippe and of the Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität (AZ: 2016-265-f-S). Written informed consent was obtained from all patients.

24.L. Round table: Refugee mental health: building clinical and research capacity through innovative partnerships

Abstract The WHO has reported that mental health disorders are a leading cause of disability worldwide, and the gaps in access to treatment, especially in low resourced settings, are a global public health issue. Refugees and migrants are disproportionately negatively impacted by factors contributing to mental health disorders barriers to care. Although considerable advances have been made in the development of MHPSS interventions, the efficacy and sustainability of these strategies depends largely on the ability to provide effective educational and training programs preparing and incentivizing future students needed to design, implement, and deliver MHPSS services. This roundtable discussion convenes individuals working across public, private, and academic sectors to explore novel partnerships seeking to scale up and transform mental health education to support refugees and forcibly displaced migrants. Panelists will discuss multi sector and institutional collaborations are needed to address such large-scale mental health gaps. In addition, this panel will discuss recent projects expanding curricular development, educational and research partnerships, and the development of pedagogical tools for professionals working in the mental health field, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and community partners. Anne Jachmann, a member of the Migration and Medicine research division of the Emergency Department of the University of Bern, has been studying and development of new practices to reduce barriers to diagnosis and the development of early interventions for asylum seekers in the Emergency Room. Adam Brown is a Clinical Psychologist and Director of the Trauma and Global Mental Health Lab. He will be discussing new initiatives and partnership in New York City and Latin America to scale up clinical treatment and research capacity for refugee and immigrant communities. Maria Hoen is a Historian and the Principal Investigator of the Consortium for Forced Migration, Displacement, and Education, a network of universities and colleges that has been developing novel educational strategies for refugee students and scholars as well as those working in this context. Nicole Shea is the Director of the Council for European Studies and the Executive Editor of EuropeNow, a global publication for a broad, multi-disciplinary educated audience. She will discuss how findings disseminated by media outlets on mental health and migration are critical for shaping discourse, education, and policy. Finally, Kyle Farmbry, Principal Investigator of the University Alliance for Refugees and At-Risk Migrants will provide insights on how a group of researchers, practitioners, and policymaker are coordinating efforts to harness the potential of university communities for the empowerment and protection of refugees and at-risk migrants. A discussion with audience will follow the panelists presentations. Key messages This panel will explore ways mental health education and training may better address the needs of refugees and migrants, through promoting interdisciplinary collaborations. Discuss ways for interdisciplinary partnerships and multi-institutional collaborations to provide comprehensive and dynamic training opportunities in forced migration mental health care.

Predictors of Perceived Learning Outcomes, Satisfaction, and Continued Use Intention in SAP ERP-Enabled Courses

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems allow businesses to achieve high performance through distinctive capabilities and are one of the fastest growing areas within information systems. Many universities have adopted ERP in their management information systems (MIS) curriculum to increase the marketability of their students. Drawing on the IS success model and several constructive learning theories, this study develops a model that is predictive of students' continued ERP software use intention, satisfaction, and perceived learning outcomes. SAP is the ERP system used in this study. Business students at four mid-sized state universities in the United States were surveyed. The universities are members of the SAP University Alliance. There were 373 usable responses. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to empirically test the model. The findings indicate that student motivation, perceived instructor support, and ERP system quality are strong predictors of student satisfaction, and learning outcomes. Student motivation and ERP system quality, but not perceived instructor support, are also significant predictors of continued use intention.

Стратегические альянсы в глобальной конкуренции в свете создания Альянса российских и испанских университетов

The article raises topical issues related to the university of the future, which will be based on university consortia and alliances actively created around the world. This trend will ultimately provide an opportunity to build a platform for a single educational space, which will contribute to the development of civil dialogue between societies of different countries. A project related to the expansion of bilateral Russian-Spanish cooperation in the field of education was examined, opening up new prospects for academic development for universities in both countries: the Alliance of Russian and Spanish Universities. The author emphasizes the need to achieve higher levels of implementation of the processes of internationalization of modern higher education, revision of the criteria for the development of educational systems, the combination of which will offer future generations improved learning formats that meet the needs of young generations of today. It is noted that the formation of professional skills and personal qualities in the learning process at the higher education level poses the task of training international experts who are able to conduct a constructive dialogue based on the acceptance of differences and the ability to find interaction points for cooperation on mutually beneficial parity principles. The ability to think and make effective decisions, promote national interests in the international arena, understand the mentalities of the peoples of other countries are the distinctive qualities of professionals - graduates of the university of the future. The desire for unification, and not for separation, is one of the principles of existence that will allow humanity to successfully develop for the good and in the name of the bright principles of tomorrow.

Research on the Development of University Library Regional Alliances in China

With the development of China’s social economy, higher education and the Internet, China has established a number of regional alliances (RA) of university libraries (UL). The university library regional alliances (ULRAS) are an important part of university library alliances (ULAS). The development of ULRAS in China plays an important role in promoting the construction of ULAS and improving the whole network system of Chinese university library alliances (CULAS). This paper mainly adopts the method of case analysis to study the development of ULRAS in China from the perspectives of development status, characteristics and trend. The purpose is to study the general model of the development of ULAS in China and provide reference for the construction of RA in other regions of China and other countries in the world.

Small Technology Firms: Academic Orientation and Knowledge Dimensions in Collaborative Innovation

This study focuses on small biotechnology firms and investigates how the depth and the breadth of knowledge application in the firm relate to the innovative output it reaps from entering alliances. We also take into account a firm’s orientation towards alliances with universities and see how this orientation combines with the depth of knowledge to affect a firm’s ability to gain innovative outputs from collaborations. Our findings suggest that firms oriented to university alliances leverage their depth of applying knowledge in order to obtain more innovative outputs. However, firms without such orientation seem to follow a different path: Even if they have focused their R&D resources over a few technological fields, they don’t seem to achieve more innovative outputs in their alliances. We also find that a tendency toward partnering upstream with universities per se does not lead to more innovative outputs but only when combined with a deep knowledge base.