OECD Education Working Papers
This series is designed to make available to a wider readership selected studies drawing on the work of the OECD Directorate for Education. Authorship is usually collective, but principal writers are named. The papers are generally available only in their original language (English or French) with a short summary available in the other.
- ISSN: 19939019 (online)
- https://doi.org/10.1787/19939019
Understanding the Regional Contribution of Higher Education Institutions
A Literature Review
The contribution of higher education institutions to regional development is a theme that has attracted
growing attention in recent years. Knowledge institutions are increasingly expected not only to conduct
education and research, but also to play an active role in the economic, social and cultural development of
their regions. The extent to which higher education institutions are able to play this role depends on a
number of circumstances: the characteristics of the institutions, the regions in which they are located and
the policy frameworks are all significant. At the same time, there are signs of more fundamental conceptual
and strategic confusion. The discussions in this domain are frequently characterised by slogans and popular
metaphors.
This literature review was prepared to support the OECD project entitled 'Supporting the
Contribution of Higher Education Institutions to Regional Development', which was conducted by the
OECD Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE) in collaboration with the
Directorate of Public Governance and Territorial Development. Drawing mainly from a selection of
European and North American publications, the report takes an overall view on the development of higher
education institutions in the regional context. It focuses on the evolution and discourses of higher
education and research, the regional aspects of higher education policies, the various functions and roles
that the institutions play, measures taken to link the universities with their regional partners, and the
conditions which favour or hamper stronger regional engagement.
- Click to access:
-
Click to download PDF - 1.35MBPDF
-
Click to Read online and shareREAD