UNIV.-PROF. MAG. DR. ERICH THÖNI RECTORS DELEGATE/UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVE for INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ASEA-UNINET Coordinator Academic Coordinator EM-ECW Chairman Commission for DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (Vienna) Member - ASEM Educ Hub AC (Singapore) LEOPOLD FRANZENS UNIVERSITY OF INNSBRUCK (Austria)
Research Collaboration in Response to Globalisation The Contribution of Asian and European Universities to Global Knowledge Society Seoul, 26.10.2010 (Korea University) Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Erich Thöni University of Innsbruck
Structure International research strategies and cooperation The European perspective Capacity building through research and doctoral collaboration - Excursus: The Austrian/Innsbruck dimension The ASEM Dimension: Evaluation/Progress The ASEM Dimension: Proposals Institutional Roles in Research: Proposals 3
International research strategies and cooperation The European perspective Who determines the research agenda at home? - On EU-level the European Commission, publishing the frameworkprogrammes (now 7 frameworkprogramme with special workprogrammes) - On national level the Government supported by the Rat für Technologie und Forschung - On states-level: the government, some states like Styria have research boards (Wissenschaftlichen Beirat) - On University-level: the rectorial team in accordance with the board of the University (published within the Masterplan of the University) 4
International research strategies and cooperation The European perspective The new Europe 2020 Strategy ERA and innovation European Research Area (ERA) an open space for knowledge The EU 2020 Vision for ERA - Modern research in a global environment and cooperation ERA in the knowledge triangle Ecxellent Universities and complimentary framework The White Paper on Africa-Europe Higher Education Cooperation for Development: Meeting Regional and Gloval Challenges development cooperation and its research orientation 5
International research strategies and cooperation The European perspective Research communities and Public-Private Partnership in research their approaches But Australian experience with Commercialization! EU instruments and international scientific cooperation The EU 7th Framework Programme on Cooperation University Associations/Service Organisations their current missions and objectives 6
The EU 7th Framework Programme The broad objectives of FP7 have been grouped into four categories: Cooperation, Ideas, People and Capacities. For each type of objective, there is a specific program corresponding to the main areas of EU research policy: Cooperation: The core of FP7, representing two thirds of the overall budget, is the Cooperation program. Research will be carried out in ten key thematic areas: Health, Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology, Information and communication technologies, Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies, Energy, Environment (including climate change), Transport (including aeronautics), Socio-economic sciences and the humanities, Space, Security (Ideas: supports "frontier research" solely on the basis of scientific excellence) (Nuclear programs planned) 7
Capacity building through research and doctoral collaboration The EU 7th Framework Programme on People and Capacities ERA - Establishing a climate of innovation (leading to invention?) Pulling down national boundaries resp. obstacles/ Offer of an attractive Europe-wide single labour market for researchers (incl. PhD-candidates) Already in 2003 (Berlin Meeting of Educ Ministers): Merge ERA and EHEA on reasons of.. In 2007 (London Meeting of Educ Ministers): Launch of an official strategy Bologna process in a global setting (policy dialogue and cooperation with other world regions) 8
The EU 7th Framework Programme The broad objectives of FP7 have been grouped into four categories: Cooperation, Ideas, People and Capacities. For each type of objective, there is a specific program corresponding to the main areas of EU research policy: People: provides support for researcher mobility and career development, both for researchers inside the European Union and internationally (Marie Curie) Capacities: strengthens the research capacities that Europe needs if it is to become a thriving knowledge-based economy (Research infrastructures, Research for the benefit of SMEs, Regions of Knowledge, Research Potential, Science in Society, Specific activities of international cooperation) 9
Excursus: The Austrian/Innsbruck dimension - Research and research driven teaching is seen, amongst others, as core tasks of the universities - There is a strong embedding of Socio-Economic Siences and Humanities - Setting of priorities, esp. in Centers - Austrian and Innsbruck s research projects consider national and international developments, esp. local missions (master plan), national frameworks (Government, Austrian Council for Research and Technology Development, Austrian Science Board) as well as the 7 th framework Programme and the Programme of the European Science Foundation (ESF). - The universities, also Innsbruck, are strong partners for national funds (ÖNB, FWF, FFG ) as well as European programs and funds (7th Framework, ESF ) 10
The ASEM Dimension: Evaluation/Progress Europe: - The External Dimension of the Bologna Process and the international orientation of EU Research Activities - The openess of the 7th Framework Programme - The White Paper on Africa-Europe HE Cooperation for Development unique and timely Austria/Innsbruck: - International project cooperation in many projects on individual level (Innsbruck top research university in Austrian framework) - Building research foci - Internationality blends with local environment in financing (Third party money) and in teaching and research (foreign personel) 11
The ASEM Dimension: Proposals There is a need of more knowledge about each other and about the inter-regional relations Research (like HE) cooperation should also be a top priority of ASEM. ASEM should facilitate in the creation of an ASEM knowledge community, like EHA and ERA ASEM should stimulate particularly research cooperation between young researchers (Master-level between Asian countries and Master and PhD-level between Asia and Europe) Assisting talented young researchers is a major challenge in some of the Asian countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, ) ASEM research cooperation should be evaluated in a project similar to the European-African one on Access to Success: Fostering Trust and Exchange between Europe and Africa, leading to a White Paper on ASEM s Research Cooperation or even HE-Cooperation 12
Institutional Roles in Research: Proposals ASEM or Co-operations like EU-Africa should foster Transregional research EU, ASEAN, Other regional bodies should assist and foster necessary Transnational research in their respective region National Government should provide National Research strategies (assisted by advisory boards), public funding (direct and/or via funds), reviews and evaluations (done through peers or QA institutions) Business should be part in research (direct or partly in cooperations, via direct commissioning, via sponsoring) University Associations/Service Organisations should provide, even more, expertises on policy issues, on empirical evidence from universities experiences in research and innovation activities, and in devising new support instruments (see EUA) 13