While interdisciplinarity has been widely addressed in higher education policies and university strategies across countries, universities and colleges are struggling with the implementation at the programme level. For instance, extant literature implies many barriers to establishing interdisciplinary degree programmes (IDPs). However, there is a…

Purpose: This study analyses development of research-related innovation activities in a University of Applied Sciences (UAS) in Finland. Focus on production of innovations in relation to academization challenges the traditions of applied research in UAS, which has always relied on collaboration with local stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach:…

University-industry collaboration produces networks that may be capable of innovations, such as novel products and services. The collaboration projects also need to benefit student learning, yet teachers have little clarity with regard to innovation competence development. Individual innovation competence is a set of personal characteristics,…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present an example of pedagogical strategy, called innovation pedagogy, and study whether its learning environments (activating teaching and learning methods, working life orientation and research, development and innovation (RDI) integration, multidisciplinary learning environments, flexible curricula,…

Purpose: While the number of entrepreneurship education programmes offered around the world is on the rise, research into the assessment of entrepreneurship education programmes is still lacking. The purpose of this paper is to take the stance that entrepreneurship education has to focus on a set of transversal competences aimed at teaching…

Purpose: Collaboration between universities and industry is increasingly perceived as a vehicle to enhance innovation. Educational institutions are encouraged to build partnerships and multidisciplinary projects based around real-world open problems. Projects need to benefit student learning, not only the organisations looking for innovations. The…

In 2009 the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture assigned the National Board of Education with the task of carrying out a nationwide evaluation of all seven cross-curricular themes. The evaluation is one of the largest education evaluation projects the National Board of Finland has ever organised. The present authors were invited to evaluate…

This article describes a new type of team training that involves undergraduate students of medicine, students from the Aalto University (industrial engineering and management, architecture, information networks, collaborative and industrial design and bioinformation technology) and specialized home care nurses. During the course, the students…

As global industries change and technology advances, traditional education systems might no longer be able to supply companies with graduates who possess an appropriate mix of skills and experience. The recent increased interest in Design Thinking as an approach to innovation has resulted in its adoption by non-design-trained professionals. This…

This paper dates back to 2009 (it was first presented at the CRLL Conference at Stirling University) and deals with the advances in lifelong learning introduced by an ERASMUS LLP-IP named Interdisciplinary Course of Intercultural Competences (ICIC). The programme, that involves academic and non-academic institutions concerned with higher education…

Analyses the effectiveness of the "Get Electronics" project that aimed to support 60 science teachers and 60 technology teachers in field courses. Considers the importance of the study of the basics of electricity and electronics at the comprehensive school, and how they succeeded in promoting elective courses by producing new learning…

A compilation of case studies of training programs for health personnel consists of nonevaluative descriptions of innovative efforts. Contents include: The University of New Castle, New South Wales, Australia: Developing a New Medical School (D. Maddison); Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia: Dental Manpower Training (R. Guerrero, C. Tasama);…