Practice into research - research into practice: Ten years of research and development at university colleges and business academies

In 2013, it was decided that university colleges and business academies must carry out practice- and application-oriented research and development (R&D) in close interaction with the labour market, other educational and knowledge institutions and the surrounding society. It follows from the same legislation that the purpose of these R&D activities is to provide new knowledge and concrete solutions to challenges within the professions and occupations that the programmes of the university colleges and business academies are aimed at.

Based on the legislation's focus on the transfer of knowledge and its application, the Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy (DFiR) has, in the project "Practice into research - research into practice", mapped how knowledge exchange between knowledge producers and recipients takes place, what special conditions and qualities apply to R&D in these institutional contexts, and how these conditions can be strengthened in the future. The project is based on a series of stakeholder interviews, an international case study, collected quantitative data and a questionnaire survey among research-active employees at university colleges and business academies. The focus has been on research and development within three major subject areas at the university colleges: primary school teaching, pedagogy and nursing, while all research fields related to the business academies are represented.

DFiR assesses that today, ten years after the legislative change, there is an unutilised potential for improving the implementation and scaling of R&D at Danish university colleges and business academies. DFiR makes five recommendations on how to create the best possible framework for such a boost. Among other things, the government should develop a visionary, national strategy for the area, and both public and private funding bodies should strengthen access to larger and multi-year R&D grants.

• Read the report here (only accessible in Danish)

As an appendix to the report, DFiR has published the questionnaire used in the project.

• Read Appendix B: Questionnaire (only accessible in Danish)

DFiR briefs

In relation to the project, DFiR has published two briefs. They are both in Danish.

• Read DFiRbrief 35: Ten years of research and development at university colleges and business academies
• Read DFiRbrief 39: Research and development at university colleges and business academies can be utilised to a greater extent