University-Business Cooperation: Development of a Strategic School Unit at ESTG/IPVC

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to discuss the practical challenges found in the operationalization of University-Business Cooperation (UBC) strategies, based on a contextualized example of a at Escola Superior de Technologia e Gestão (ESTG), the technologic school of Polytechnic Institut of Viana do Castelo (IPVC). The paper describes the process of development and implementation of a UBC unit, establishing broad range of partnerships with public, private and voluntary sector organisations, wich aims at fostering and strengthening the relationship between science and organisations. This Unit emerged from an organizational attempt to aggregate several Cooperation initiatives, including PBL Projects taking place within diverse courses, and enhance the possibility to create a strategic school “unit” in accordance with international recommendations in the field of UBC. The unit intends to consistently establish the conditions for cooperation between academia and organizations, providing guidance and strengthening efforts in the value chain between higher education and organizations. In general, the unit activities aim at maintaining high levels of strategic orientation, enhancing the development of student’s skills., whilst contributing to social and economic development. It intends to encourage and promote knowledge sharing and transfer, create partnerships and long-term opportunities, developing and increasing students' creativity and innovation, through proven methods such as active teaching-learning methods, and therefore, increasing students’ employability. These activities require the acquisition of knowledge associated with the development of an entrepreneurial stance, whilst supporting and promoting the diversification of sources of financing higher education. Simultaneously, this approach will provide a judicious and sustained development of the professional relationships and the work environment within and outside the school. In this School, different courses have established partnerships with several organisations since a long time, creating the necessary conditions for project-based learning approaches, and for the development of students’ employability skills. However, these initiatives were carried out by teachers and courses, on a voluntary and independent basis. This paper presents the development process and organization of a UBC unit and describes the different hubs that are being proposed. Critical factors to take into consideration for the success and improvement of UBC initiatives will be discussed and pointed out, in the light of the existing literature in this field.