In the past decades, the development of higher education institutions (HEIs) in industrialized countries has become intertwined with innovation policy and the goal of national competitiveness. Focusing on the discourses on innovation by the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), this article illustrates the transformation of Finnish higher…

This article explores the strategic external funding goals and plans of action of Finnish universities of applied sciences (UASs) as articulated in their institutional strategies using the ecology-of-games metaphor. UASs are pressured to expand external funding sources compared to their previous student number-based funding history. The UASs'…

This is the technical appendix for the report "From Insights to Impact: Fostering Innovation through Texas" which examines the current national landscape of higher education research and development to help gauge Texas' current position and identify opportunities to drive further innovations into the future. This appendix includes the…

Higher education institutions play an essential role in Texas' global economic competitiveness. They provide the talent and innovation that gives the state its competitive edge. The COVID-19 vaccine, ethernet, plasma screens, and e-readers are just a few of the thousands of ideas that were born out of U.S. universities. These innovations have…

As described in "Go8 Backgrounder 24: Answering the Global Challenge--Experiences from European Excellence Initiatives," Germany began a debate about how to strengthen its position as an excellent location for science and research in 2004. This debate focussed in particular on the competitiveness of the country's universities and…

The global competition and related international academic mobility in science and research is rising. Within this context, Europe faces quantitative skills shortages, including an estimate of between 800,000 and one million researchers. Within Europe skills imbalances and mismatches increase, with a growing divergence between countries and…

In 2005, West Virginia science and education leaders developed a strategic plan entitled: "Vision 2015: The West Virginia Science and Technology Strategic Plan." The plan is comprised of five (5) target areas for infrastructure development, with 14 goals for action by designated leaders from higher education, state government, and…

There is now a great deal of experience across different countries as they act in their own ways to improve the productivity and excellence of their higher education institutions. Each nation wants to create an international reputation for excellence that will attract students, academic staff and business. This involves change at the national…

The issue of the concentration of research funding within the UK higher education sector and the implications of such concentration for the health and diversity of the research base have been monitored by Universities UK for several years. In 2003 the authors commissioned a first report from Evidence Ltd on the potential impact of proposals on…

As part of its mandate from Congress, the National Science Board oversees the collection of a very broad set of quantitative information about U.S. science, engineering and technology, and every 2 years publishes the data and trends in its "Science and Engineering Indicators" ("Indicators") report. On occasion, the data reveal trends that raise…

Historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs) have long struggled to compete with traditionally White institutions (TWIs) when it comes to breakthrough research. Of the 908 U.S. institutions that received National Science Foundation research funding in fiscal year 2005, only 72 were historically Black, and they took in $294.2 million in…

As the country emerges from the recession, the Government of Canada must make difficult but critical decisions about where to invest public resources. Federal investments in research are overwhelmingly directed to pure or discovery research, with little support to applied research tied to commercialization. Innovation for the marketplace and the…

Canada weathered the global economic crisis well, mainly reflecting sustained growth in domestic pending, and the economy is continuing to grow despite the persistence of international turbulence, most recently stemming from the euro zone sovereign debt crisis. In Canada's case, several factors are acting in its favour. Federal fiscal plans are…

This study explores the experiences and initiatives of vocational education and training (VET) providers in three areas: (1) Income sources and mixes; (2) "Thin markets" in VET; and (3) Research and development. Practices and policies are evolving in these three areas. The report contributes to a deeper understanding of the scope and…

All research intensive universities (RIU's) want to expand their scope of operations. Research performance is a key driver of institutional reputation which underpins a university's ability to generate revenues from all sources. Achieving an accelerating rate of growth of the virtuous cycle, in which increasing research performance enhances…