University-Industry Collaboration

Ajay Agrawal. 2001. University-to-industry Knowledge Transfer: Literature Review and Unanswered Questions. International Journal of Management Reviews. 3.4.—Agarwal divides the existing literature on knowledge transfer into four categories: (1) firm characteristics; (2) university characteristics; (3) geography; and (4) channels of knowledge transfer. For the purposes of university finance, the literature on university characteristics is most relevant. This literature covers topics such as intellectual property, technology licensing offices, and the use of equity versus royalties in patent licenses. The author concludes that more research is required, in part because university-firm interaction is not comparable with firm-firm interaction because universities are not profit maximizing. (Requires purchase.)

Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. 2008. Momentum: The 2008 Report on University and Knowledge Mobilization. —This report describes the state of research in Canadian universities, and points out that Canada's private sector turns to universities to do its basic research. Last year the private sector invested a higher proportion of its research spending in Canadian universities than was the case in all the other Group of Seven countries (Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States). Private investment in university research has grown steadily since 1995, and Canadian industry in 2007 spent 6.4 percent of its total research money at universities.

David Moltz. 2009. Fallout From Auto Industry Collapse. Inside Higher Ed. January 20. —This article describes collaborations between US auto manufacturers and Michigan community colleges to provide training for auto industry employees. Such collaborations are now in jeopardy, given the financial situation of the automakers.

Geoff Maslen. 2009. US-India: Boosting Private-Public Partnerships. University World News. January 25.—This article describes current initiatives to expand and improve India's higher education system, including collaboration with US higher and vocational institutions that have experience in "crafting unique public-private partnerships between industry and local communities, as well as distance learning models."

Henry Etzkowitz, Andrew Webster, Christiane Gebhardt, and Branca Regina Cantisano Terra. 2000. The Future of the University and the University of the Future: Evolution of Ivory Tower to Entrepreneurial Paradigm. Research Policy. 29.—The authors argue that momentum towards the creation of an entrepreneurial university is very strong, even if this development leaves open questions about proper governance. Behind this development is the increasing role of knowledge in economic development and innovation. Forums that connect government, universities, and businesses are central to the operations of the entrepreneurial university, with universities driven in part by financial advantage. To elucidate these connections, the article describes the development of the entrepreneurial university in the United States and its spread to other parts of the world.

Jack Stripling. 2005. Cooperation Breakdown. Inside Higher Ed. April 14. —This article discusses the decline of "coop" programs that pair college students with internships in the corporate world, largely due to the economic crisis.

Jennifer Washburn. 2005. University, Inc. The Corporate Corruption of Higher Education. New York: Basic Books.—In this book, the author critiques relationships between universities and corporations in the research realm. It's purpose is to "expose for the first time the toxic mix of science and profit that is destroying the historic independence of American universities and reveal how commercial conflicts have led to compromised research, a loss of scholarly independence, the downsizing of teaching, and the erosion of the humanities."

Jurgen Enders and Ben Jongbloed (eds.). 2007. Public-Private Dynamics in Higher Education: Expectations, Developments and Outcomes.—Worldwide, scholarship and policy-making develop new ideas and models for the role of higher education and research in society and economy. This development points to changing relationships and boundaries between the public and private spheres in higher education including their public and private steering and funding, public-private partnerships between universities and firms, the rise of private higher education and of business models in the management of universities. The contributions to this edited volume investigate into the dynamics of blurring boundaries between the public and the private in higher education and their consequences for the university.

Karin Fischer. 2008. Ohio's Public Colleges Lure Businesses With the Promise of a Skilled Workforce. Chronicle of Higher Education. 55.12. November 14.—This article describes efforts to create jobs in Ohio through partnerships between industry and higher education institutions.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)—Opened in September 2009 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, KAUST is a graduate-level research university with a multi-billion dollar endowment open to students from around the world. Tuition is fully-funded by the university. Central to the establishment and operation of the University is its partnership with the Saudi Aramco corporation, which is charged with planning and developing KAUST's campus, as well as its organizational and academic structure.

OECD — University Futures: University Research—As part of the University Futures project of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, the OECD maintains a webpage with information on changes in the way university research is conducted, including the rise of private funding. However, the collection of resources is relatively limited.

Ronald Perkinson. 2003. Planning Ahead For Knowledge Societies. Presentation at Education India Conference. August.—Perkinson, a staff member of the International Finance Corporation at the time of this presentation, argues that the higher education sector has a vital role to play in facilitating innovation in knowledge-based economies. In particular, systems of higher education need to build mutually beneficial partnerships with small and medium enterprises. The author argues that necessary investment in training and lifelong learning is not just the responsibility of the state but also the private sector.

Rory O’Shea, Thomas J. Allen, Colm O’Gorman, and Frank Roche. 2005. Universities and Technology Transfer: A Review of Academic Entrepreneurship Literature. Irish Journal of Management. 26.—This article reviews the existing literature on academic entrepreneurship, i.e. the ability of universities to create successful spin-offs. The authors argue that this topic deserves increased attention because universities are becoming increasingly important for economic development in knowledge-based economies. They conclude with suggestions for further research into the mechanisms of creating successful spin-offs.

Science and Development Network — Research & Development—The Science and Development Network, a portal for information on science in the developing world, maintains an extensive webpage on technology transfer. While the focus of the webpage extends beyond higher education, some documents provide insight into the role of higher education in R&D in developing countries.

Shailaja Neelakantan. 2009. A Young University in India Focuses on Real-World Industry and Sustainability. Chronicle of Higher Education. 55.18. January 9.—This article describes India's TERI University, a recently-established institution devoted focusing on sustainable development. A key element of the curriculum is that all students are required to intern with a company or government agency before graduation, in order to tackle real-world environmental projects.

Society of Research Administrators International—This organization provides educational and networking support for research administrators, with most of its chapters based in North America. Resources on their website include archives of the Journal of Research Administration, a list of grant sources, and the Body of Knowledge, an index of relevant documents.

Stephan Vincent-Lancrin. 2006. What is Changing in Academic Research? Trends and Future Scenarios. European Journal of Education. 41.2.—This paper provides an overview of academic research in the OECD countries, the increasing funding of R&D by businesses, and the parallel rise of private funding of academic research. In the OECD area, government funded approximately 72 percent of higher education research in 2003, a fall from 81 percent in 1981. The paper concludes with four possible future scenarios for academic research.

The International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM)—ISPIM is a global network of academics, business leaders, and others engaged in innovation management. They organize conferences, journal publications, and collaborative research projects. Some of the newsletters contain information relevant for the financing of higher education.

UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge—The UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge serves as an open platform for the exchange of research and networking through international and regional events. Much on the website is background information that can help contextualize the role of university-industry collaboration in the developing world. Of particular interest, however, are some of the publications available on the website, including the occasional papers and some of the regional occasional papers.