Blog for the third mission

There are several commonly accepted ranking systems for the First and Second Missions, which provide indicators to measure excellence in Higher Education Institutions around the world. Rankings improve quality assurance by allowing the institutions to understand their own performance, develop best practices, and provide effective and efficient value to society. They also provide quality indicators to governments, society and industry. However, there are no commonly agreed indicators or methodologies to assess quality in Third Mission activities.

This project will develop such indicators, promoting excellence in Third Mission activities, and encouraging Higher Education Institutions to share best practices across Europe.

Thursday 28 March 2013

CHE Ranking under fire

It seems that the CHE ranking is going through a raff time. As it went through the media - some German journals like DUZ or Times Higher in the UK - reports on the growing scepticism and even boycott the CHE ranking a new discussion about the use of rankings appeared on the HE sky. Which one is good or not so good? Why should a university join or not? What are the alternatives? Of course statements like the president of the university Hamburg saying that they don't need a ranking to know that they are good, is more then provocative. We know that rankings don't provide the ultimate through but are a piece of the HE landscape. It seems that now just after the new U-multirank - as it was announced by the EC in Dublin earlier this year - starts and the EU is eager to develop his own global ranking (based on CHE methodology), it's time to challenge the rankers. OK we can't live with...but also without the rankings. We know that you love it or you hate it dear presidents but you have to live with it. There should be a clear statement for improvements and quality development from the rankers - no question about it. But to react like a child on the playground as some did just recently in Germany is not the way how we improve the rankings. A dialogue would help more both parties then a fight like this. Of course other rankers like Times Higher are perhaps more then happy about the criticism in Germany and see their ranking as a winner at this very moment. I can remember few years ago, when Times Higher had to change part of the methodology because it turned out that they have some bias, which have changed the results a tables questionably. Now is CHE on the list, a year later Shanghai and all the others. But at the end of the day we will by the magazine, read the websites and look to the league tables of rankings...

Wednesday 6 June 2012

Questionable factors behind traditional university rankings

A new article with the most relevant issues regarding the quality and role of rankings collect the "flowers". We can't live with rankings and we can't live without them....so we have to improve them!!!

Wednesday 30 May 2012

Green Paper on Third Mission

The Green Paper is now available on the project web site 

Universities and Regional Innovation: From Policy to Practice Building Capacity for Collaborative Partnerships


The positive impact of effective regional innovation on economic growth, employment and social stability is recognised everywhere.  The ability to build capacity for collaborative partnerships and to exercise strong leadership in order to bring together a variety of regional stakeholders behind a common regional strategy is "the" critical step for regional success.    

This one-day conference will focus on the challenges involved in building and sustaining successful cross-sectoral partnerships between academic, business and public agencies to support regional innovation. The conference will draw on lessons learned from the EU-Drivers for a Regional Innovation Platform project.

The conference format will be highly interactive, with expert international keynote speakers, panelists and senior representatives from the European Commission.

With practical interactive sessions it will provide participants the opportunity to try out "on the ground" the lessons learnt from the EU-Drivers project; each participant will receive a copy of the EU-Drivers toolkit with good practices to support effective transformational regional innovation.

In our pre-conference reception, networking breakfast and poster sessions, the conference will provide ample opportunities for direct exchange between regional, university and business leaders as well as access to EU policy-makers.

For more information and online registration, please check here.

Friday 25 May 2012

Graduates' Strategy

“ You are not a volunteer and the university is not a charity. You are paid for hours of work; do not exceed them. Teach well, but do not make teaching the core of your identity.“ and....keep smiling :)

Tussle between university rankings and community engagement by Yojana Sharma

Universities that want to engage in regional development, community outreach or even philanthropic support say they first have to overcome the ‘tyranny’ of international university rankings, which mainly value research output and give little credit for helping to transform society, including reducing poverty and inequity.cont. reading

Wednesday 7 March 2012

The Indispensable University by Traini, Holsworth and Kaine

The Indispensable University describes the innovative transformation of institutions of higher education (HEIs) across the world, in response to the emerging realities of the twenty-first century global knowledge-based economy, as well as describes how HEIs are defining many of today's economic realities on a regional level. HEIs continue to drive economic development through their traditional roles of purchaser, employer, real estate developer, workforce developer and community developer. But these roles now must be executed more strategically and collaboratively. Also, the twenty-first century economy offers universities unique opportunities to generate the intellectual and financial capital that drives emerging knowledge-based industries.
Case studies are drawn from: urban America; rural America; Europe; the Middle East; and emerging countries. Some of the topics covered include the following: the role of university presidents as change leaders; the relationship between higher education institutions and the political leadership of cities, states, and nations; successful models of partnerships between higher education and the private sector; and future challenges and opportunities facing the modern university.