Research and Innovation in Higher Education (2024)

Due to the important role research and innovation play for growth and sustainable development, fundamental transition processes are taking place in the systems of research, innovation and tertiary education in Europe as in other regions of the world. These processes can be described as from regulation to deregulation and competition, from steering to market, from administration to management. Institutions involved as HE and research institutions are largely affected by these changes, gaining high autonomy for themselves. Therefore, we need experts who are able to understand and analyse these new contexts (system knowledge combined with regional contexts), who could link system change with institutional change and who are able to develop management skills to deal with the changing environment inside HE and research institutions. In the master course „Research and Innovation in Higher Education“ (MARIHE), students will develop a sound understanding of the change processes and how these link to education systems and labour markets in general. Thus, the curriculum reflects on three perspectives to the change logic involved: first, on „systems in transition“ - focusing on general developments and regional contexts (i.e. Europe, Africa, Asia, globalisation, regionalisation), second, the perspective on interactions between „system – institution“ (i.e. funding of research and innovation), and third, from the institutional perspective (i.e. „change management“). Importance is also given to transferable skills (i.e. research methods, languages, leadership). Also in terms of mobility, students will gain manifold perspectives and rich intercultural experience: During 4 semester (120 ECTS) they will study in at least 2 European countries (University for Continuing Education Krems/Austria, Tampere University/Finland, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences/Germany, Eötvös Lorand University/Hungary, University of Aveiro/Portugal) and 1 Asian Country (Beijing Normal University/China, Thapar Institute for Engineering and Technology/India). After the 2nd semester, students will get insight into fields of practice during an internship, provided by enterprises and organisations related to the topic of the course (i.e. CHEPS, UNESCO-IESALC). Graduates will be able to understand the specialities of scientific institutions and to adapt marketization and deregulation instruments to the needs and the culture of the institutions. They are competent in policy analysis and evaluation and will take the lead with their expertise in future developments in the management and development of research and innovation in tertiary education. A joint degree or a double degree will be awarded.