Supporting the Contribution of Higher Education Institutions to Regional Development The OECD Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE) with the support of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) North East England Case Study Report Prepared by David Charles, Cheryl Conway, Helen Pickering, Jean Tennant, Swayan Chaudhury and Peter Allan, with inputs from the universities of the North East, and regional partners. wh404262v1 North East Regional Report - Final 28.10.05 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This self assessment report was undertaken through a process of wide consultation within the universities and in conjunction with regional partners. In particular the process was supported by a steering group drawing on representatives of business and regional public bodies and chaired by Peter Allan, formerly managing partner of the law firm Ward Hadaway and now semi-retired. Peter as independent chair provided enthusiastic and skillful leadership in the steering group, and acted as host on several occasions for meetings associated with the project. A working group representing the universities in the region and including regional partners contributed to the report with information and comments on the text. With the support of the steering group several consultation meetings and events were held to capture the views of a wider business and policy community It must be emphasized though that this research is focused on the universities of the North East and their contributions to regional development. It is not a review of regional development in the region or an evaluation of those regional agencies and programmes that do not involve the universities. It is also not a study of other parts of the education system except where they interact with the universities. There is an element of higher education provision in the region which is undertaken by the further education colleges, and this is mentioned where relevant, but the study does not examine the colleges as institutions given that the majority of their activities are in the delivery of FE rather than HE. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..........................................................................................II CAPACITY BUILDING SWOT ANALYSIS .............................................................. VI ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................XVIII CHAPTER I: OVERVIEW OF THE REGION............................................................18 The nature of the region and the regional stakeholders ................................................................... 18 The economic, social and cultural background of the region ............................................................ 18 Broad population trends over the last ten years.................................................................................18 The main economic and labour market trends over the last ten years ............................................... 18 Strengths and weaknesses of the region ............................................................................................ 18 Characteristics of the regional institutional networks ...................................................................... 18 Expectations of regional stakeholders for HEIs ................................................................................ 18 CHAPTER II: CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM.......18 Overview of the national system of higher education........................................................................ 18 Dearing Inquiry ................................................................................................................................. 18 The Higher Education Act 2004........................................................................................................ 18 Growth in HE numbers over the past 10 years .................................................................................. 18 National analysis of supply and demand of HE ‘product’................................................................. 18 Governance and regulatory framework for universities .................................................................... 18 Inter-institutional relationships in the UK ......................................................................................... 18 The culture of HE in the UK ............................................................................................................. 18 Dialogue between government ministries concerned with territorial development, science & technology and those sponsoring higher education ........................................................................... 18 Regional dimension “inside” the national higher education policy ................................................. 18 HEFCE and the regional agenda ....................................................................................................... 18 Regional higher education system and governance........................................................................... 18 Basic profile and character of HEIs in the region.............................................................................. 18 CHAPTER III: CONTRIBUTION OF RESEARCH TO REGIONAL INNOVATION ..18 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... 18 Framework conditions for promoting research and innovation ...................................................... 18 Policies for research in HEIs ............................................................................................................. 18 National policies for collaboration with business.............................................................................. 18 Policy developments since 1997........................................................................................................ 18 Responding to regional needs and demands ...................................................................................... 18 Emergence of regional innovation policy in the North East.............................................................. 18 North East Strategy for Success ........................................................................................................ 18 Interfaces facilitating knowledge exploitation and transfer ............................................................. 18 Research centres, contracts, collaboration and consultancy .............................................................. 18 Regional collaboration in advice to SMEs ........................................................................................18 iii Placements and labour based links..................................................................................................... 18 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships...................................................................................................... 18 Intellectual property, spin offs and science parks ............................................................................. 18 Science parks and incubators............................................................................................................. 18 Spin off firms..................................................................................................................................... 18 Conclusion............................................................................................................................................. 18 Successes in collaboration between regional stakeholders related to regional innovation ................ 18 Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to regional innovation .............................. 18 CHAPTER IV: CONTRIBUTION OF TEACHING & LEARNING TO LABOUR MARKET AND SKILLS ...........................................................................................18 Localising the learning process ........................................................................................................... 18 Student integration into the region..................................................................................................... 18 Placements......................................................................................................................................... 18 Postgraduate activity meeting regional needs....................................................................................18 Student Recruitment and Regional Employment.............................................................................. 18 Student Recruitment .......................................................................................................................... 18 The North East’s Colleges – Giving Wider Access to Higher Education1........................................ 18 College Provision of Higher Education............................................................................................. 18 The North East Graduate Labour Market .......................................................................................... 18 Pathways between regional HEIs and regional firms ........................................................................ 18 Graduate Enterprise.................................................................................................................. 18 Promoting lifelong learning, continuing professional