Response of Higher Education Institutions to Regional Needs

The agenda of universities has moved on from a desire to simply increase the general education level of the population and the output of scientific research; there is now a greater concern to harness university education and research to specific economic and social objectives. Nowhere is this demand for specificity more clear than in the field of regional development. What contribution do universities make to the development of the regions they are located in? They certainly have passive impacts in terms of direct and indirect employment; yet, how can the resources of universities be mobilised to actively contribute to the development process? The challenge addressed in this book is how should higher education institutions respond to demands which are emanating from a set of actors and agencies concerned with regional development and thus help reach national objectives. This book is based on case studies presented at various conferences focusing on Australia, the Baltic States and Scandinavia, continental Europe, the United States and the United Kingdom. The case study material is supplemented by other sources of information about national higher education policy, including major national surveys of higher education in Australia, Finland and the United Kingdom each of which embrace the regional agenda.