The OECD through its programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education has recently published the final report of its study on Supporting the Contribution of Higher Education Institutions to Regional Development. This study involved work in 14 regions across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia and was partly supported by the participating regions and countries and the UK Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

 

The IMHE launched the project in autumn 2004 as a response to a wide range of initiatives across OECD countries to mobilise higher education in support of regional development. There was a need to synthesise this experience into a coherent body of policy and practice that could guide institutional reforms and relevant policy measures such as investment decisions seeking to enhance the connection of HEIs to regional communities. Current practice needed to be analysed and evaluated in a way that was sensitive to the varying national and regional contexts within which HEIs operate.

 

The aim of the IMHE project was compare and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of regional initiatives and partnerships, to provide an opportunity for a dialogue between higher education institutions and regional stakeholders, to assist with identification of roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, to provide advice at national level on the impact of policy initiatives e.g. funding initiatives at a regional and institutional level, and to lay the foundations of an international network for further exchange of ideas and good practice.

 

Each of the participating regions engaged in a self-review process followed by site visits by international review teams. Participating regions designated Regional Co-ordinators and Regional Steering Groups to oversee the process. Each regional review was conducted by an International Peer Review Team with two International Experts, the one being the Lead Evaluator, as well as a Domestic Expert and Team Co-ordinator. The entire project was coordinated and led by project management at the OECD secretariat and Project Task Group. Each regional review produced two independent reports i.e. the self-valuation report and Peer Review Report, both of which are accessible from the website attached. All reports have been published online in the project website for the benefit of the participating regions and a wider audience.  A final synthesis report drawing from the experiences of the participating regions and a comprehensive literature review was published at the end of 2007.

 

PASCAL members and associates were actively involved in this process and there was discussion of the process at the Pecs conference. There will be further information available at the Limerick conference in May 2008.

 

To download individual regional reports see  

 

 

To obtain the final report from OECD see