New openings in university–industry cooperation: Aalto University as the forerunner of European University Reform

Abstract

The Innovation University (IU) -to be called the Aalto University after Alvav Aalto, a famous Finnish architect and MIT professor -is a new university which will be created through a merger of three existing universities: the Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), the Helsinki School of Economics (HSE) and the University of Art and Design Helsinki (TAIK). The commitment to this reform can be summed with one figure: start-up funding is 700 MEUR coming from the government and industry. The objectives set for the IU require long-term development of operations in a way that makes societal interaction and in particular, effectiveness serving working life an integral part of all the operations. This cannot be achieved without education and development services essential to working life competencies, meeting also shortterm competency challenges and representing international top level. Themes, research topics and ways of working crossing boundaries will be nurtured within the focus areas of the new university. These facilitate comprehension of how knowledge and skills acquired through various disciplines are to be integrated into the teaching and learning practices. The IU is the developer of new learning environments and a determined promoter of lifelong learning. The new university will position itself within the core of global competition, as an active interaction node and meeting forum for the international academic community and the most noteworthy networks formed by global companies. In selected key areas, the new university will volunteer to act and take a role as the network orchestrator.

Learning across silos: Design Factories as hubs for co‐creation

“…In 2007, there was an aim for an "innovation university" in Finland which would merge the leading technology, business, and art and design universities. The resulting Aalto University quickly became a forerunner in European university reform, nurturing ways of working across boundaries and acting as a flagship for the larger scale development of higher education and innovation systems (Green, 2009;Kao, 2009;Markkula & Lappalainen, 2009). Although Aalto's operations began in 2010, reforms and preparations began before this.…”

Innovations in education in the context of the formation of intellectual resources for the development of technological entrepreneurship

“…At the same time, the analysis of the nature of interaction between the educational environment and business in foreign countries revealed a number of approaches that claim to a serious understanding of their experience for the application of its individual components in the practice of Russian higher education [9,10]. It is also justified to analyze the foreign experience of partnership between the educational environment and business.…”

Towards a Framework for Closer University-Industry Collaboration in Educating Built Environment Professionals

“…As indicated in the introduction, the reduction of HEIs' monopoly on knowledge creation, storage and dissemination has been noted in the literature as a consequence of the information and communication revolution and coincides with the increasing importance of learning in the workplace (James, 2012). Markkula and Lappalainen (2009) report estimates that more than 80% of all learning will occur on the job rather than in higher education.…”