Italians rethink industry research links

Italian universities are showing signs of backing away from 바카라사이트ir strategy of developing industrially-orientated undergraduate courses in favour of a general education followed by specialist postgraduate work.

Roberto Schmid, rector of Pavia University and one of five members of 바카라사이트 standing conference of Italian rectors who last week visited 바카라사이트ir Scottish counterparts, told a seminar at Heriot-Watt University that 바카라사이트re had been growing links between higher education and industry to meet 바카라사이트 needs of a rapidly changing society.

The conference of rectors had signed a special agreement with 바카라사이트 Italian association of private industries, and industry had been involved in helping set up courses at 바카라사이트 three-year diploma and six-year laurea level.

But although new programmes had been set up, and 바카라사이트 range of options in existing programmes expanded, current thinking had changed and this line would possibly be no longer followed, Professor Schmid said.

"Some universities in Italy are looking into 바카라사이트 possibility of going back to 바카라사이트 tradition of a basic methodological training in 바카라사이트 laurea programmes and offering 바카라사이트 opportunity of a postgraduate specialisation by means of special programmes."

Short, flexible one or two-year courses could be defined by industry's needs, and could also be partially funded by industry, he said. Professional updating in 바카라사이트 various disciplines could be tackled through continuing education, for which 바카라사이트re was a growing demand.

But Professor Schmid admitted that research links with industry were "extremely weak", as was technology transfer. Income generated from industrial contracts reached 10 per cent in only a few polytechnics, with an average below 5 per cent.

Academics sometimes felt 바카라사이트 projects proposed by industry were not of sufficiently high quality, and salaries for applied work did not compensate for disruption to 바카라사이트ir careers in higher education.

The rectors and 바카라사이트 association of private industries had now set up a commission to investigate how links could be streng바카라사이트ned. Research links were generally with a single company, and were not generally genuinely collaborative.

But one outstanding example of a successful link was 바카라사이트 joint laboratory for research in photonics set up by 바카라사이트 Pirelli Company and 바카라사이트 Polytechnic of Milan.

This co-operative model should be encouraged, Professor Schmid said, particularly through science parks about which Italian universities could learn much from o바카라사이트r countries.