Industry and Higher Education

This special issue of Industry and Higher Education is devoted to a selection of papers from the Second International Conference ‘New Horizons in Industry and Education’(NHIE 2001), held on the island of Milos, Greece, in September 2001. In this introductory article the author provides an overview of the conference, summarizes the most important presentations, and offers personal reflections on the conference outcomes.

This paper examines trends in European higher education, particularly in the area of harmonizing quality and standards across Europe. It examines these trends in the context of their influence on the challenges facing the European higher education sector, as outlined in the Bologna Declaration, in developing a world-class higher education system. The response of the UK to this initiative is examined in detail as an exemplar of a national response to these European aspirations. The paper concludes that, although significant progress has been made at national and institutional level, a further overarching effort at European level is required to ensure that the objective of harmony within the context of quality and transparency is realized. It also concludes that significant recent developments in the UK should be observed by the sector in general to inform European-wide debate and further development.

This paper outlines the new global environment in which higher education institutions (HEIs) now have to operate. The author considers the threats and opportunities for institutions in Europe and discusses various strategic actions that need to be taken if the region's HEIs are to sustain their quality and increase their competitiveness. He suggests that structural changes, such as internationalization, the integration of new technologies and the ability to diversify, are essential for their survival. He argues too that there are lessons to be drawn from the responses of the banking sector to significant changes in the markets it serves. Finally, the author considers in more detail two of the key issues that European HEIs need to address – those of academic autonomy and collaboration with other HEIs and other organizations. The paper concludes that, to respond to the changing requirements of their ‘consumers’, HEIs must increase the transparency and accessibility of their programmes and, while protecting the essential principles of education, enhance and stress their market advantages.

This paper presents several concepts critical to improving the interface between engineers and managers. A case study approach is used to illustrate fundamental problems that continually result in negative and disastrous consequences for organizations, including: (1) differences in the roles, functions, and decision-making prerogatives of engineers and managers; (2) different communication styles that lead to the misinterpretation of information; and (3) ethics of institutional taken-for-granted paradigms that perpetuate and exacerbate communication failures.

The triangle of government, industry and education is one of the cornerstones defining the technology evolution patterns of society (and more). Within that triangle, innumerable interactions with continuous feedback processes create an overall picture that is frequently too complicated to paint in a single dimension. One problem addressed from time to time is that of how closely aligned the objectives of industry and engineering education should be. The short-term benefits of having industry dictate engineering education objectives can easily be observed. Long-term issues and results are more difficult to anticipate, but should be given equal consideration. This paper examines some of the trends and needs in view of new interaction tools that have become available over the past two decades. A case study of recent changes at California Polytechnic State University – the flagship of the California State University system – exemplifies the status quo for California on this topic. Overall, the authors take a dim view of the current situation. The intention is to provide a sceptical review of ‘what can go wrong’ – a question that some engineers cannot remove from their minds. Major reflection points include the effort to fit more into a smaller (unit and time) bag; the messages that academics are receiving about success and failure; the fluctuations in student demand; and, last but not least, the overall ‘educational’ experience of the students.

Improvements in students' capabilities and advances in their learning maturity through the use of groupware technologies in management teaching can be Monitored via a Capability Maturity Model (CMM). During an academic semester, decisions on the type and intensity of technologies used can determine the added – or subtracted? – value in management capabilities developed by students. This paper presents the findings of a research project at the TEI of Larissa that is closely coupled with the European Commission's European Engineering Manager (EEM) and Virtual Development for Europe (VIDEEO) pilot projects. Based on case studies of student groups, the paper demonstrates the usefulness of the CMM in evaluating the effectiveness and learning outcomes of group assignment projects.

It has been recognized that there is a lack of competitiveness in the UK-based automotive supply chain and that knowledge and creativity at all levels within a company are a source of competitive advantage. It is against this background, and in light of the increasing demands placed on the automotive supply chain through globalization and over-capacity that a number of initiatives have been established with support from the UK government – including the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT) Industry Forum and The Automotive College. To improve the competitiveness of companies lower down in the automotive sector supply chain it is necessary for the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and first-tier suppliers to lead any initiative. With this mind, a Merseyside Automotive Group (MAG) was established, chaired by Jaguar Cars with representation from other Merseyside-based automotive companies. Its activities are managed and coordinated from the Centre for Automotive Studies at Liverpool John Moores University. The model developed by the Group consists of an integrated programme with three elements: a Manufacturing Improvement Programme, which aims to transfer the best practice from the OEMs into the supply chain, an Automotive E-Community Programme in which companies can trade, share and learn, and an E-Tools for Industry Programme to raise awareness of the benefits of information and communications technology. The paper describes this integrated programme and its impacts.

Creating new business activity and safeguarding the successful competitiveness of existing firms in Lapland and throughout Finland requires up-to-date effective education, product development and supportive applied research. The basic prerequisites are skilled, motivated people and a high-quality infrastructure, as well as a broad-based will to support the development of companies in the region. The use of new information and communication technology is significantly changing the scope of education and the learning process. A good telematic infrastructure with its related services and the ability to use it, together with good bi-directional, interactive communication between local educators and companies are key factors for future success.