Study Finds University’s Viewpoint Critical for Successful Partnerships

University partnerships lead to diversity in teaching and research, highlight the importance of university research and lead to the development of special expertise, concludes a policy brief by the Conseil Superieur De L’Education in Quebec.

Universities: Working In Partnership, prepared for the Minister of Education, examines the effects of partnerships with outside entities on elements of the university mission in Canada, particularly Quebec. The brief outlines the positive effects of partnerships, as well as the counterproductive and undefined effects.

The brief focuses on the university viewpoint of partnerships and identifies concerns and tensions by universities when engaging in these agreements. These concerns and tensions are parlayed into five key questions to be asked. From these questions, the Counsel outlines five guidelines for partnerships:

• The university's mission must remain the chief point of reference.
• The effects of partnerships on training must be optimized.
• Measures concerning university research funding provided for in the Quebec policy on science and innovation must be implemented as soon as possible.
• Reinforcing management mechanisms and institutional support for partnership-based activities, and
• Continuing the discussion concerning partnership-based activities.

Eighteen recommendations are presented to the Minister of Education to support the guidelines and to foster growth and success of university partnerships. Some recommendations include providing policy support for the university's mission, intensifying training and research that allows students to interact with businesses and outside organizations, and ensuring that a balance of funding remains between "free" research and partnership-based research. An abridged version of the policy brief is available at: http://www.cse.gouv.qc.ca