Interviews
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ACUP: From your own experience as President of the Association of Universities in The Netherlands (VSNU), what are the most challenging issues in fomenting collaboration between universities? And the major benefits of such collaborations?SN: In the Dutch context since the early 90s collaboration between universities mainly focused on three domains: a) joint graduate research schools, b) high end research co-operation, and c) enhanced public-private co-operation with research and innovation intensive businesses. The benefits of a) were higher quality teaching and tutoring (wider variety of expertise, international master classes), much better success and satisfaction rate with graduates, and in fields with low student numbers higher efficiency; b) joint research in high profile research fields results in bigger volume, higher impact, much better visibility, enhanced attractivity for junior and senior researchers, shared high cost infrastructure and better perspectives for international partnering; c) PPS’es have since 1995 played an important role in innovative research and development, to the joint benefit of business and university; until very recently Dutch government has been funding these schemes rather generously; the overall effect of all this is better societal impact and visibility, IP and business creation, science park developments etc.
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ACUP: What advice would you give the Catalan Association of Public Universities for this endeavor?SN: Generally speaking these options are available to Catalan universities as well. It took us about twenty years to get to the present level of intensive co-operation. A similar level of performance and expertise of all partners involved appeared to be a conditio sine qua non for all successful collaborations between university groups.
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Albert Bou
27/03/2012Third vicepresident of ACUP & president of the Social Council of the Universitat de Girona-
ACUP: How do you think Catalan public universities can improve their relationship with companies?AB: In a small University with a strong relationship with its surrounding area, we must continue to promote the participation of entrepreneurs in the Social Council, in the center boards, commissions programming and the foundations of the university. There are some other major issues to improve such as scholarships in companies and institutions, continuing education and the relationship among university-business. Otherwise, we have stories of success like the Transfer and Innovation Scholarship which supports research groups to relocate the results of their research to the companies or spin-off. But due to the limited capacity of our industry it’s difficult to convert the applied research of Girona in commercial products.
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ACUP: How is the University of Girona facing the current crisis and decline of public funds?AB: Fortunately, because of our managers’ responsibility, our university has never generated deficit. In 2010 the University elaborated a 'Plan of efficiency and austerity' which analyzed how to save money without affecting the teaching quality. In 2011 the 'Economic sustainability plan' was used to alleviate the serious decline of the Generalitat resources. We realize that the whole community has had to make efforts. The Social Council has always asked for caution in estimating revenue and control spending and also the application of cost accounting as a management tool and transparency to the university and society.
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