Wicked Problems: University Research Topic Convergence Despite Divergence in Local Educational and Innovation Policies

Autor/inn/en	Friman, Mervi; Schreiber, Dusan; Mutanen, Arto; Perälä, Simu; Salminen, Janne
Titel	Wicked Problems: University Research Topic Convergence Despite Divergence in Local Educational and Innovation Policies
Quelle	In: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 22 (2021) 8, S.108-124 (17 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1467-6370
DOI	10.1108/IJSHE-04-2020-0121
Schlagwörter	Sustainable Development; Research and Development; Innovation; Higher Education; Foreign Countries; Universities; College Curriculum; Educational Research; Stakeholders; Brazil; Finland + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Nachhaltige Entwicklung; Forschung und Entwicklung; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Ausland; University; Universität; Bildungsforschung; Pädagogische Forschung; Brasilien; Finnland
Abstract	Purpose: This study aims to determine how sustainable development (SD) demands (according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's (UNECE) SD themes from 2005) are connected to the contents of education, research, development and innovation (RDI) in higher education institutions (HEI). Education and the RDI nexus may affect HEI's capability to handle SD-related wicked problems and enhance their societal impact. Design/methodology/approach: This paper examined SD-oriented curricula contents of two universities (Brazil and Finland) and counted the number of SD-related research outcomes. In addition, conceptual modelling was used to analyse the mechanisms that may be directing HEIs' SD work in local innovation. Findings: The data showed a convergence deviation in the RDI of SD-related subjects between the two HEIs. There was no correlation between SD-oriented education and RDI-work in either HEI. Education and RDI processes have different UNECE SD themes at the focal point, and the education-research nexus is lacking. This difference indicates that new SD-related knowledge produced through RDI was not effectively used in education. Modelling revealed that the convergence in RDI outcomes arose from the same kind of local business, industry and societal challenges, implementing effective stakeholder pressures into HEIs. The results may indicate that stakeholder SD needs were not directly transferred into the competence qualification of the curriculum. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first quantitative study to reveal the independence of universities' SD-related RDI subjects on educational curricula. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01