Regional Collaboration between Companies and the University Belfast 2 April 2007 Toril Eikaas Eide, Centre for Continuing Education (SEVU)

2 Experience from Norwegian pilot projects aiming at: - mutual development, - quality enhancement, and - innovation through integration of research and professional development / continuing education

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)

4 The city of Bergen gateway to the fjords Norway’s continental city

5 The city of Bergen: brief history Founded in 1070 Norway’s capital until 1299 thriving international port research traditions Bergen International Festival 2000 European City of Culture

6 The city of Bergen: historical figures Ibsen Grieg Bull Nansen Bjerknes Rokkan

7 The city of Bergen: culture and commerce the sea international education infrastructure

8 The city of Bergen: education and research 3 university level institutions 20+ research centres students employees

9 The University of Bergen Young university (1946) In the city of Bergen students 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

10 Project background, motivation – challenges: Companies: Limited scale of LLL and University Continuing Education (UCE) activity University: Limited knowledge about real life and important challenges in companies, - and about their need for competence development University and company: Little experience from applying recent research results directly/quickly in professional development in companies

11 Background, motivation – challenges (cont.): Too little direct feedback from companies about their problems and demands for knowledge. And/or: 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

12 How have you tried to meet such challenges? Approaches? Models? Projects? Networks? Partners? Collaboration? Marketing? Communication?

13 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

14 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

15 ’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

16 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

17 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)

18 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

19 SEVU’s role: Project leader Process leader and facilitator Pedagogical coach and adviser Evaluator

20 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

21 Four pilot projects - two each Roses and Cucumber Cod health in production of Extreme weather (Oceanography

22 What did we do – and how? Our model for our practical approach:

23 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

24 Pedagogical approach: Learner based Problem based work place / company Experience based Theory based

25 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

26 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

27 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

28 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

29 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!

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31 Thank you!

32 Questions? Comments? Other input? Similar projects? Your experience?

33 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