university–enterprise cooperation

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• Giving and improving teachers’ first
hand experience of the labour market
and using this in teaching;
• Encouraging entrepreneurial potential
ambition in graduates through first
hand experience of industry.
3.3.2.5. Universities and promotion for Life-long
Learning
Continuing education would seem to represent
a hugely important potential opportunity
for universities and reorientation towards
delivering Life-long learning is required.
Continuing education needs close contact
between university and business and it is of
prime importance that:
• Life-long Learning is to be integrated
into the strategies of universities;
• The upgrading of skills has to be valued
and recognised on the labour market
and by employers;
• Universities cannot design and deliver
alone the Life-long Learning that is
why it has to be developed in partnership
with enterprises.
The European Association of Universities
adopted the European Universities’ Charter
on Life-long Learning, and this document
sets out 10 commitments for Universities
covering:
• Wider access to learning;
• Diversifying the student population;
• Increasing the attractiveness of study;
• Life-long learning in a quality culture;
• Stronger local, regional, national and
international level.
With the growing emphasis on Life-long
learning, it is essential to form strategic
alliances especially for industry and educational
organisations, to ensure complete skilling
of employees as part of human resource
development. It is not only in the interest
of companies themselves to ensure continual
training of their workforces; individuals also
need to take advantage of regular opportunities
to enhance their own skill levels both at work
and in their own time [12].
3.3.2.6. To encourage the better university
governance
As a precondition for effective collaboration
between university and business, the University-
Business Forum focused on governance at
national, regional and institutional level.
This requires universities to overcome their
fragmentation into faculties, departments,
laboratories and administrative units and
to target their efforts collectively on institutional
priorities for research, teaching and
services.
All of these represent new internal governance
systems based on strategic priorities and
on professional management of human
resources, investment and administrative
procedures.
Intermediary organisations or business
associations, European, national or regional
bodies or agencies are important actors as
they can represent a good interface between
universities and companies.
The success of many innovative regions
in the US and in Europe has been based
on a triangular partnership involving
universities, business and government.
3.4. Future Steps
The Commission proposes two forms of
follow-up action:
I – To continue the dialogue - The Forum
will continue with the structure of thematic
meetings and seminars on national and
regional level and in addition, need to
develop a web space for the sharing
and disseminating of experience and for
communication.
The Forum should be more open to actors
from beyond the EU and should include a
focus on lessons which can be learned from