MUNICIPALITY OF ROSKILDE
ROSKILD
Cooperation between Municipalities
and Higher Education Institutions
MECINE
Medium-sized cities network Europe
Results from a Survey
Lene Ekholm Petersen and Viggo Plum
Roskilde 2006
1
Contents
Preface
page 3
Municipalities
page 4
The Municipality of Joensuu
page 4
The Municipality of Linköping
page 5
The Municipality of Ravenna
page 5
The Municipality of Roskilde
page 5
The Municipality of Speyer
page 6
The Municipality of Tønsberg
page 6
Summary
page 6
Universities and higher Education Centres
page 7
University of Joensuu
page 8
North Karelian University of Applied Science, Polytechnic
page 9
Linköping University
page 10
University of Bologna, Ravenna Campus
page 10
Roskilde University
page 11
German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer
page 12
The University College of Vestfold (VUC)
page 12
Summary
page 14
Total Summary
page 14
Appendix A
Introduction letter
page i
Appendix B
Questionnaire for the municipalities
page ii
Appendix C
Questionnaire for the universities/higher education centres page iii
2
Preface
In August 2004 Roskilde Municipality (Claus Billehøj) and Roskilde University (Viggo
Plum) organized a 3 days seminar with focus on the interplay between Town and
University (a higher education in the region) and regional development. After a
successful seminar the Mecine group later asked for a small survey on the interplay
between Municipality and Higher Education Institution in the Region. Roskilde
University was asked to do this little survey and Lene Ekholm Petersen has done the hard
work in consultations with Viggo Plum. Claus Billehøj and later Lena Bruun Jensen from
Roskilde Municipality have also been involved in some consultations. The background
for the survey is:
a) Questionnaires sent to the municipalities,
b) Questionnaires sent to the universities or higher education institutions
c) Impression from the seminar (2004) for all municipalities and higher education
institutions in the network
d) Later meetings and talks with actors. The questionnaires are in appendix
A+B+C.
Viggo Plum
3
Municipalities:
Six of the nine municipalities responded to the questionnaires sent to the municipalities.
We asked some municipalities two times for responds. We are glad to have results from
Joensuu, Linköping, Ravenna, Roskilde, Speyer and Tønsberg.
In short the questionnaires for the municipalities were answered like this:
Joensuu Linköping Ravenna Roskilde
Speyer
Do you have a
No
Yes
Yes
Business
Yes
business
consultant +
department or a
memberbusiness office?
ship in the
regional
business
adviser
office
Does the office
Ongoing Ongoing
Occasio OccasioOccasio
cooperate with the coopera- cooperanally – a nally – a
nally – a
university or
tion
tion
few
few times
few
higher Education
times
times
Centre?
Do other
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
departments
cooperate with the
university or
higher Education
Centre?
Does the
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
municipality have
trainees from the
university or the
higher Education
Centre?
Does the
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
municipality have
student jobs?
Tønsberg
No
-
Yes
Yes
No
The Municipality of Joensuu
In Joensuu they don’t have a business department/business office, but a company Joensuu
Regional Development Company (Josek Ltd.) owned by the city and 7 other
municipalities around Joensuu, carries the operative responsibility for definition of the
regional business policy, for business counseling, business development and marketing of
the region. The City has an ongoing cooperation with the universities in the form of joint
projects, input for the development of strategies, exchange of trainees and thesis work.
4
The Department of Education cooperates with the University in educating teachers for the
school. The local schools serves i.a. as research objects in various themes, and the city is
responsible for organizing adequate pool of scholars for the University practice school,
where teachers are being trained. There are also established a cooperation about English
language schooling in order to attract international researchers at the University. The
Technical Department provides normal municipal services for the University, and it also
finds appropriate locations for the infrastructure needed by the University and indoor
space for University activities. The Social Services and Health Care Department provides
practical cases and traineeships for the University. The International Department
cooperates with the University about student exchange and activities for international
researchers. The city offers through a company Joensuu Elli Ltd. Student housing for
over 3.000 students in Joensuu. There is also an ongoing case-to-case collaboration on
different topics between all departments and the Universities.
Asides from the Municipality’s own student jobs, the City also gives grants to small
business and organizations for employing juveniles.
The Municipality of Linköping
In Linköping they do have a business department/business office. The department/office
does have an ongoing cooperation with the University, which is very well developed. A
number of projects have been carried out over the years. The City and the University cofinance various actions within the field of student recruitment, entrepreneurship and
research concerning local business establishment.
Two development and research centres have been established, one within social affairs
and one within educational affairs. The cooperation is very well developed and the
relationship is defined as well working and efficient.
The Municipality in Linköping doesn’t have trainees or student jobs, but some students
write their theses in close cooperation with municipal departments. The students give the
department assistance to analyze a specific issue, and at the same time the students get
access to a real framework and practical knowledge. The Municipality also offers
teachers practical training at some schools, for the students who study to be teachers.
The Municipality of Ravenna
The Municipality of Ravenna does have a business office, which occasionally cooperate
with the University. Other departments in the Municipality also cooperate with the
University. The Municipality does have trainees from the University and student jobs.
The Municipality of Roskilde
In Roskilde they have a business consultant, who occasionally cooperates with Roskilde
University. They also have membership in the regional business adviser office. The
Department of Children and Culture, the Technical and Environmental Department and
the Social Department also cooperate with the University, and these departments have
about 10 trainees from the University spread out between them. The Municipality has
about 3 students job.
5
The Municipality of Speyer
In Speyer they have a small business office with a staff of two people. The office
cooperates occasionally with the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer.
The municipality also cooperates in a number of projects regarding administrative topics
such as; E-government, political participation, citizens panels and representative surveys.
The Municipality does occasionally have trainees from the University on specific
subjects. They don’t offer any student jobs.
The Municipality of Tønsberg
The Municipality of Tønsberg doesn’t have a business office or a business department,
but many of the other departments cooperate with University College of Vestfold (VUC),
concerning items like technical support, different projects, education, nursing,
environmental problems, IT-projects, coordination of services to the inhabitants in 12 of
the municipalities in the area, regional development, administration, infrastructure and
more.
They don’t have trainees, but some students work with special projects which require
close contact with different departments, and they then work in the department for some
time.
Summary
The survey with questionnaires to the municipalities tells us that all of the municipalities
do have some kind of cooperation with a higher Education Centre in the area. Nearly all
have a business department, a business office or an organization to deal with regional and
business development including relations to universities/higher education institutions,
and in all the municipalities other departments cooperate with the University or higher
Education Centre. Five of the municipalities have trainees, and three municipalities have
student jobs.
6
Universities and higher Education Centres:
Six of the nine universities and higher Education Centres responded to the questionnaires
sent to the universities or higher Education Centres. We asked some universities/higher
Education Centres two times for responds. We are glad to have results from Joensuu,
Linköping, Ravenna, Roskilde, Speyer and Tønsberg, the same locations as the responses
from the municipalities.
The questionnaires for the Universities or higher Education Centres were answered like
this:
Joensuu
Joensuu
Linköping
Ravenna
Name of Institution
University of
North Karelian Linköping
University of
Joensuu
University of
University
Bologna –
Applied
Ravenna
Sciences,
Campus
polytechnic
No. of full-time stud. 7.359
3.739
27.000
3.500
No.of part-time stud. 9.476
562
About 5.000
No. of research stud. 844
0
Approx. 1.400
15
No. of researchers,
622
229,5
Professors: 320 150
lectors, professors,
Lectors: 1.350
and teachers
Research
calculated in fullassistants: 750
time jobs.
All: 2.420
No. of other
567
80,9
Adm. staff: 730 50
employees,
Techn.staff: 450
secretaries, technical
Add. staff: 90
staff etc.
All: 1.270
Subjects students
Humanities,
Social Sciences, Engineering and Cultural
can do
Education,
Natural
technology,
Heritage, Math.,
Sciences,
Sciences,
social science
Physics, Law,
Forestry,
Culture,
and natural
Engineering,
Theology and
Technology,
science
Medicine and
Social Sciences Social services,
Chemistry
Environment
and Tourisme
A 3+2 structure
Yes
Yes
Yes! Not fully
Yes
(bachelor + master)
impl. App. 30%
A 3+1 structure
No
No
Yes! Approx.
70%
Years it officially
5 years
3,85 years
2-5,5 years
5 years
takes to take a full
minimum 4,5
degree
years for master
The actual number
4,8 years
3,9 years
Approx. 4,7
6 or 7 years
of years spent on a
years for master
full degree
7
Roskilde
Speyer
Name of Institution
Roskilde University German University
of Administrative
Sciences Speyer
No. of full-time stud.
8.200
448
No. of part-time stud.
800
0
No. of research stud.
300
126
No. of researchers,
500
Professors: 17
lectors, professors, and
Assistants: 17
teachers calculated in
All: 34
full-time jobs.
No. of other
350
110
employees, secretaries,
technical staff etc.
Subjects students can
Science, Arts and
Administrative
do
Humanities, Social Sciences, Law,
science,
Public Finance,
Communication,
Politics and Social
Economic and
Sciences
Philosophy
A 3+2 structure
Yes
No
(bachelor + master)
A 3+1 structure
No
No
Years it officially
5 years
1 year post master
takes to take a full
degree
The actual number of
Bachelor: 3,5 years 1 year
years spent on a full
Master: 3 years
degree
Tønsberg
The University
College of
Vestfold (VUC)
3.800
2.000
40
250
140
Maritime
operations,
teaching, social
sciences, health
care,
engineering
Yes
No
5 years
5,5 years
The Joensuu Region has 2 Universities.
University of Joensuu
The University Senate includes a person from the City of Joensuu, and also a person from
another city Savonlinna. At the moment both serves as mayors for the two cities. That
guaranties information exchange between the University Senate and the City Executive
Boards. The main field in the cooperation is student’s housing, student’s other services,
construction of University’s buildings and the Science Park activities.
The role of the University in the regional development is to produce well-educated
experts for the region. The University also accomplish about 70 million euros’ turnover
for the regional development. Half of the regional R&D Funding are used by the
University.
8
The main goal of the cooperation is to develop a very attractive and innovative
environment for education and living. The cooperation is working quite well.
Of specific projects where knowledge from the University is used locally is mentioned:
1) Spatia- Centre of Regional Research, which carries out research on regional
economic development and competitive ability, rural development, cross-border
cooperation (business to Russia) and evaluation research. Spatia’s main customer
organizations are municipalities, federation of municipalities, regional
administrative units, ministries and international organizations (e.g. EU) and
enterprises.
2) InFotonics Centre Joensuu is a research and business service for modern optics
which combines photonics and information technology know-how. The
InFotonics Centre provides an interface between industry and the University of
Joensuu in commercialization of high technology optical research.
3) SMARC – Special Materials Research Center’s main goal is to develop
together with industry scientific innovations of material chemistry into products.
North Karelian University of Applied Sciences, polytechnic
The cooperation between the University and the Municipality is very close because the
University NKUAS is a commercial enterprise maintained by the City of Joensuu. The
financial support comes mainly from Ministry of Education. The City Board is
responsible for the administration and economy of NKUAS, and the Central
Administration of NKUAS is located in the University’s President’s Office, where the
matters strategically essential to administering the University and tasks of external
operations are focused on. NKUAS has 10 campuses where 6 are located in Joensuu
(This organization structure is in a European university perspective very special).
The role of the University is to develop new technology especially developing the virtual
polytechnic in Finland, also to enhance the internationalization of the region. NKUAS is
very active in regional development and has implemented structural funds projects since
Finland became a member state in EU in 1995.
The goal for the cooperation is to promote regional development and regional strategies,
to support municipality education and training policy and to develop enterprises such as
reports and case studies on different areas of entrepreneurship, theses commissioned
according to the needs of enterprises and organizations, practical training (in Finland and
abroad), continuing education and tailor-made training plus applied research and
development services set by enterprises and organizations. The wish for the future is to
increase international cooperation.
Of specific projects is mentioned:
1) The Access project – a foundation for lifelong learning. The project educates
adults who wants to study in the Polytechnic, but don’t have the basic skills for
university level. Access also educates staff of companies and of the public sector
to up-grate their qualifications.
9
2) The Future of Labour in Social Services and Health Care- Project. The primary
task of the project was to prepare for the lack of employment force and know-how
in North Karelia due to retirement of the baby boomer generation. The project
supported and increased well-being at work among social and health care
personnel and deepened the professional skills and know-how of new employees
in social services and health care and informed the public about future
employment opportunities in social services and health care.
3) Development and Education Project for Primary Health Care in North Karelia
(Perenna) consisted 13 individual projects in which all supported the development
work and the resources of the personnel in the municipalities. The project
developed customer-oriented basic services and developed operations models and
methods in social services and health care.
Linköping University
In Linköping the cooperation with the city is very well developed. Leading local
politicians are members of the university board and various institutional boards within the
University organization. The management in the City and the University meet twice a
year to discuss issues of mutual interest. The non-political management meets six times a
year. The mayor and the city commissioners meet with the student organizations five
times a year.
Linköping University also cooperates with several other municipalities in a centre called,
Centre for Municipal Strategically Studies (CKS). The overall objectives are to stimulate
the development of research important to municipalities and to stimulate the overall
interest of municipal related research among researchers and practicians. The Centre also
develops structures for dissemination and promotes platforms for cooperation between
research and municipal development units.
The role of the University in the regional development aims to stimulate
entrepreneurship, growth, prosperity and welfare in the region. Hereby being a driving
force in the cosmopolitan society. The overall goal for the cooperation with the City is to
stimulate local and regional development, foster growth and employment, attract
important competencies to the region, increase the number of students at the University,
and to develop a student friendly city. The wishes for the cooperation in the future are to
deepen and continuously develop the cooperation.
The University is involved in a “Quality City Project”, a huge survey in different towns
including the Mecine Network interviews and focus groups etc. to evaluate quality of life
in different towns in different scales. This Quality City project is an example of how
scientific expertise successfully contributes to strengthen municipal initiatives.
University of Bologna – Ravenna Campus
The Municipality of Ravenna created in 1989 the Fondazione Flaminia that carries out
promotional and support activities for the development of the University of scientific
research and of higher training in Romagna. The activity of Fondazione Flaminia consist
in: Organizing conventions, initiatives, shows and publications of cultural and scientific
10
interest; favoring the connection of the scientific and cultural structures of the territory;
carrying out higher training activities; favoring the entrance in the world market of
students and course attendees; promoting collaboration amongst universities, cultural
institutions, high schools and training schools; developing activities in the research field
and stimulate synergies between the university and the production world; acquiring
venues, furniture and equipment for didactic and scientific activities; favoring activities
of student organizations, financing cultural activities that they propose and services
offered by these associations.
The role of the University in the regional development is:
a) Research and university development
b) Research in sustainable production activities and
c) Development of vocational training.
The goals for the cooperation between the University and the Municipality is research
projects in the environment field, services for students, cultural activities and congress
and cultural and tourist promotion. The cooperation level is already satisfying.
Of specific projects is mentioned: Fondazione RavennAntica Parco Archeologico di
Classe – Archaological Parc of Classe, Mar Museo d’arte della città – City Art Museum
and Classense and Oriani Library.
Roskilde University
In Roskilde there is a close weekly collaboration concerning industrial development,
regional and national planning and the development of student dormitories including
offers to foreign students.
The role of the University in the regional development is to educate a well educated
workforce, to both the national and international labour market. It is also the role of the
University to advice industrial institutions and administrations engineering development
and improvement. The goals for the cooperation are to create added value, which is
related to the municipality and region. The wishes for the cooperation in the future are
more formal research board collaboration.
Of specific projects where knowledge from the University has been used locally or
regionally the University mentions: To reduce the waste of raw material in the production
process, to reduce waste of energy in the production process, to create new possibilities
for human resources development in private firms, in institutions and in administrations,
to develop support structure of local development, to create support structure for
industrial development, to create awareness of new possibilities in local administration,
to create better offers from the commercial sector to industries and commerce and to
create good offers from the Business Service Centres for business in the region.
11
German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer
The University describes the cooperation with the City as good. They have teaching
experts from the municipality administration to come at the University as external
examiners (censors), and students can work as trainees at the Municipality. The
Municipality also gives grants and prices to excellent students and help hosting students.
The role of the University in the regional development is primarily to be the center of
administrative Sciences of all Germany, but also to cooperate with other institutions,
firms and higher education institutions on a regional level. The goals for the cooperation
are mutual benefit and development, better communication and mutual aid. The wishes
for the cooperation in the future is better understanding of the problem of each partner,
better integration of the University in the region.
The University College of Vestfold (VUC)
The cooperation with Tønsberg Municipality is mainly through projects between 12
collaborating municipalities in Vestfold (the 12K-project) and Various R&D projects. By
law the University Colleges of Vestfold should play an active role in the regional
development i.e. in all value adding activities – both in the private and in the public
sectors the University is following up through R&D projects and by building relations
and structures for collaboration.
The goals for the cooperation is for the University to be the regional center of expertise –
and together with the municipalities build effective systems for industrial, social and
cultural development. The wish for the future is Triple Helix structures – and linking
regional, national and international interests with University College of Vestfold as
driving and coordinating force.
Of specific projects is mentioned:
1) The Electronic Coast project which have been followed by the national project
The Norwegian Centre of Expertise.
2) Various projects in collaboration with 12K.
3) The cooperation between the regional governmental agencies and the private
industries in the region.
12
The questions about who the Universities work together with were answered like this:
Do you work
together with
the local
business council
or similar
institutions?
Ad Hoc with
special projects
between
researchers and
the institutions.
With special
meetings between
top level persons
from the
university and top
level officials
from business
councils.
None of the
above.
No real contact.
Joensuu
Joensuu
Linköping
Ravenna
Roskilde Speyer Tønsberg
-
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Someti Yes
mes
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Yes
Do you work
together with
other
educational
institutions?
To influent the
regional
development.
To coordinate
education
planning and
interests at a
local level.
Other purposes.
Joensuu Joensuu
Linköping
Ravenna Roskilde
Speyer Tønsberg
Yes
Yes
Yes
-
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lesser
Yes
Saving
money
Regional development
-
No real contact.
-
-
-
To create
good
entrance to
the
University.
-
-
13
-
-
Summary
1) All of the Universities cooperate with local institutions, they influent the regional
development and they coordinate their work with other Education Institutions.
2) Joensuu University and North Karelian University of Applied Sciences, polytechnic
are in very close collaboration with the Municipality, since the Mayor are on the board of
the Senate and especially since NKUAS are an enterprise of Joensuu.
3) All of the Universities have (ad hoc) projects between researchers and other
institutions and they all have meetings with top level officials from business councils.
4) The municipalities and universities collaborate to give good students facilities with
Joensuu as an outstanding example, where the Town runs 3000 rooms for students.
5) Impacts from the Universities seems to be:
a) Developing a good workforce for the region and nation
b) Boost the regional ADP
c) Do research in local and international context
d) Being a base of science to the region
e) Making the town/region more attractive to settlement.
Total summary
In countries with more peripheral structure of development it looks like the university’s
regional role is officially more clear. Joensuu University and North Karelian University
of Applied Sciences, polytechnic have 2 mayors on the senate. NKUAS is directly
controlled from the Board of Joensuu Municipality. Peripheral universities seems to have
several projects with focus on a) peripheral development, b) collaboration with
local/regional actors and a municipality deep involved in serving and facilitating the
universities and running students halls. Vestfold (Tønsberg) point out that the law claim
universities and higher education institutions most be local/regional involved to support
development. In the other end of the scale lies Speyer, with a small specialized university
for administration education. In South Germany with high population density is this
specialized university looking more for the national market for the students and less for
local interaction in scale and in form.
Personal the authors get the impression from many visits to universities towns and
universities that all have a common result for the area, making the local/regional area
more attractive for the labour force of tomorrow. This is important how ever we talk
about the “creative class” or stick to the urbanization and need for longer education as
well as knowledge based economy.
Nearly all universities and municipalities seems to have active relationships either on
formalized top level or/and on ad hoc project ideas. Most universities do have some
relations to the business actors in the region even if it is unclear from the survey how
much it is on everyday life, but politically many actors point out the necessity of
interaction.
Attention: Parts of the answer from Linköping Municipality and from Linköping
University are identical. Therefore it is reasonable to assume, that the questionnaires or
parts of the questionnaires have been filled out by the same person.
14
Appendix A
Introduction letter:
Roskilde, 9th of
December
In September 2004, The European network of Twin towns which includes, Evora
(Portugal), Joensuu (Finland), Lamia (Greece), Linköping (Sweden), Ravenna (Italy),
Roskilde (Denmark), Speyer (Germany), Tønsberg (Norway) and Gniezno (Poland),
held a conference about relationships between the municipality and institutions of
higher education in the area, even if it was in some distance from the actual Twin
town. It has been decided between the Twin towns (Mecine Network) to collect some
basic information on the higher education institutions as well as their relation with
the municipalities in the Mecine Network. For this investigation it will be very helpful
if you can respond to the following questions before 20th of January. You can
respond by e-mail to ekholm@ruc.dk. Thank you for your cooperation.
Lena Bruun
Townplanner
Municipality of Roskilde
E-mail: lenabj@roskildekom.dk
Viggo Plum
Associated Professor
University of Roskilde
Section for Geography
E-mail: plum@ruc.dk
Lene Ekholm Petersen
Research Assistant
University of Roskilde
Section for Geography
E-mail: ekholm@ruc.dk
15
Appendix B
Questionnaire for the Municipality of:
Do you have a business department or a business office?
Maybe together with another municipality?
Does the office cooperate with the university or a higher Education Center?
Occasionally – a few times
Ongoing cooperation
Exchanging general viewpoints
No real contact
Does the municipality have other departments of education, technical, social
or environmental which cooperate with the university or a higher Education
Center?
Does the municipality have trainees from the university or the higher
Education Center (students)?
Does the municipality have student jobs?
Thank you for your cooperation
16
Appendix C
Questionnaire for the University or higher Education Center in
the region/local area of:
A)
Name of Institution:
What is the number of full-time students?
What is the number of part-time students?
What is the number of research students (PhD.)?
What is the number of researchers, lectors, professors, teachers – calculate as fulltime
jobs?
What is the number of other employees – secretaries, technical staff etc.?
What are the (main) subjects students can do?
Do you have a 3+2 structure (bachelor + master)?
Do you have a 3+1 structure?
How many years will it officially take to take a full degree?
What is the actual number of years spent on a full degree (average)?
B)
Describe your current cooperation with the municipality (the local
authority/administration system):
What is the role of the university or the higher Education Center in the
regional development?
Do you work together with the local business council or similar institutions?
In which way?
Ad Hoc with special projects between researchers and the institutions.
With special meetings between top level persons from the university (Rectors or
similar persons) and top level officials from business councils.
17
None of the above. Then how?
No real contact.
Do you work together with other educational institutions?
To influent the regional development.
To coordinate education planning and interests at a local level.
Other purpose – which purpose
No real contact
What are the goals of the cooperation between the university (and other
educational institutions) and the municipality?
In which way would you like the cooperation to evolve?
Could you mention some specific projects where knowledge from the
University or higher Education Center in the region/local area has been
used locally or regionally by private or public companies/institutions?
Thank you for your cooperation
18
www.mecine.eu
19