Peer Review Report
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Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Directorate for Education Education Management and Infrastructure Division Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE) Supporting the contribution of Higher Education Institutions to Regional Development Peer Review Report Canary Islands, Spain Chris Duke, Francisco Marmolejo, Jose Ginés Mora, Walter Uegama July 2006 The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the OECD or its member countries. 1 This Peer Review Report is based on the review visit to the Canaries in April 2006, the regional Self- Evaluation Report, and other background material. As a result, the report reflects the situation up to that period. The preparation and completion of this report would not have been possible without the support of very many people and organisations. OECD/IMHE and the Peer Review Team for the Canaries wish to acknowledge the substantial contribution of the region, particularly through its Coordinator, the authors of the Self-Evaluation Report, and its Regional Steering Group. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE......................................................................................................................................5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...........................................................................................................7 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS....................................................................................12 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................13 1.1. Evaluation context and approach ......................................................................................13 1.2. The conduct of the evaluation...........................................................................................14 1.3. The structure of this report................................................................................................16 2. THE CANARIES REGION ....................................................................................................17 2.1. The geography and special status of the Canary Islands...................................................17 2.2. Economic circumstances...................................................................................................18 2.3. Social aspects ....................................................................................................................19 2.4. Higher education in the Canary Islands ............................................................................19 2.5. Political dimensions – the difficulty of driving change ....................................................21 3. THE CONTRIBUTION OF RESEARCH TO REGIONAL INNOVATION.........................22 3.1. The context for research and innovation in the Canaries..................................................22 3.2. Investment and outcomes in Research, Development and Innovation..............................23 3.3. Planning research and innovation .....................................................................................24 3.4. Strengthening ties between universities and the business sector ......................................24 3.5. Current and new perspectives on research and innovation ...............................................26 3.6. Exploiting university research...........................................................................................28 3.7. Collaboration between research institutions .....................................................................29 4. THE CONTRIBUTION OF TEACHING TO THE LABOUR MARKET AND TO SKILLS DEVELOPMENT........................................................................................................................31 4.1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................31 4.2. Localising the learning process.........................................................................................31 4.3. Education for regional and local employment ..................................................................33 4.4. Proactive engagement of prospective employers: Assessing the needs of the market......34 4.5. The “company” and the “competition” – Academic and other resources of higher education in the Canaries..............................................................................................................................35 4.6. The “Product” – the educational programmes ..................................................................36 4.7. Strategic dimensions of student recruitment .....................................................................37 4.8. A regional system of higher education?............................................................................38 4.9. Higher education and the nature of organisations of the new era .....................................38 5. THE CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT .....................................................................................................................................................41 6. CAPACITY BUILDING.........................................................................................................43 6.1. Empowerment for action at the highest level....................................................................43 6.2. Networks and social capital ..............................................................................................45 6.3. Connecting the universities...............................................................................................46 6.4. Internal arrangements and the management of change .....................................................50 6.5. Towards an integrated learning region..............................................................................51 3 6.6. The national level and beyond ..........................................................................................52 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................54 7.1. General conclusions ..........................................................................................................54 7.2. Recommendations to the universities................................................................................56 7.3. Recommendations to the region........................................................................................57 7.4. Recommendations to the central government ...................................................................61 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................62 APPENDIX 1. THE OECD PEER REVIEW TEAM .................................................................63 APPENDIX 2. MEMBERS OF THE REGIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE AND AUTHORS OF THE SELF-EVALUATION REPORT........................................................................................65 APPENDIX 3. PROGRAMME OF THE REVIEW VISIT ........................................................67 4 PREFACE We have written this report with three main readerships in mind. The first is the people working together to nurture the development of the Canary Islands, an ultra-peripheral region within the European Union and an autonomous region of Spain comprising seven islands grouped as two provinces. We hope that the report will help them along their path of partnership between the region and its universities to guide and bring about the balanced development of the region. Secondly, the report is intended to have interest, relevance and benefit to others in Spain concerned about balanced national and regional development. Over recent decades, following the end of the dictatorship, Spain’s different regions have experienced democratisation and decentralisation as well as rising prospect within the European Union. With the rapid development both of the European Union and of globalisation more generally, the pace of change for regional and local governments has quickened, including decentralisation initiatives. None the less this review suggested that further change in law and regulation is required if a region like the Canary Islands is to develop effectively with its own unique history, assets and circumstances, and its universities are to play a full part in that process. Thirdly there is the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which with the Higher Education Funding Council for England commissioned, and along with the region, “owns” this review. The interest of these partners is in learning internationally about the role of higher education in regional development across regions in a number of Member States that are taking part, and others that are not. In addition we hope to interest a wider international readership, and to provide something of value to regions both within and beyond the OECD that are not included directly within this project. The report will be useful to the other participating OECD regions in direct proportion to its relevance and utility for each different region. Obviously it will have particular interest within Spain to those who took part in the parallel Valencia region study, and it may be helpful to consult these two studies together. Our report is therefore written in a way that seeks to be comprehensible and useful to all these potential readers,