Interaction between HEIs and regional needs 85 

In general, in the Netherlands private education institutes are more demand-driven than public institutes. UAS are directed more towards the regional labor market than research universities, given that the latter aim for a more generalist preparation and research. At the same time, UAS have a lower intensity of doctoral training among their staff (OECD, 2008a: 33). The downside of UAS’ local employment connections is a lower national, European and global connection

(OECD, 2008a: 64). According to the OECD public authorities in the Netherlands have failed to create a policy framework in which tertiary education institutions can fully exploit autonomy through innovation and client-oriented specialization (OECD, 2008a: 34). For example, the so- called ‘macro-effectiveness test’ (macro-doelmatigheidstoets) gives institutes less control over (local) programmes. Hence, regional links are limited to begin with. Platform Arbeidsmarkt en Onderwijs (PAO, platform labor market and education) is a public-private partnership that strives for well-functioning labor markets in the Amsterdam region (PAO, 2009). Especially the

municipality and the business sector seem to be active in the platform. VU University Amsterdam for instance is not a partner. PAO’s focus is more on primary and secondary education than on higher education, because imbalances are more obvious at the lower levels of education.

One way in which a mutual relationship between a higher education institute (HEI) and the regional stakeholders exists is in the form of regionally-oriented courses, educational

programmes, internships and theses. Another way is by providing work-based learning (‘dual’ education in the Netherlands). By international standards the Dutch HBO sector offers little part- time or dual education (OECD, 2008a: 64). In general it can be said that research universities have a strong theoretical and research-led orientation. This implies that the curriculum is largely supply-induced. This is not to say that there is no interaction between regional stakeholders and the universities. The OECD has even concluded that “even research universities with a strongly theoretical and research-led orientation offer study programmes which are in fact strongly oriented towards working life – including programmes in traditionally vocational study fields, such as architecture, law, and medicine.” (OECD, 2008a: 61). In a similar vein, a supply-induced set of courses does not exclude a regional dimension in at least part of these courses. The

University of Amsterdam (UvA) for instance mentions the following educational programmes with a regional character: heritage studies, curator, town and country planning, accountancy, forensic sciences, evidence based practice and obstetrics. Other initiatives with a strong regional link in which the UvA participates are the Duisenberg School of Finance (DSF) and the

Amsterdam University College (AUC). The DSF has been created in 2008 by seven of the largest Dutch financial sector institutions, with an ambition to create a world class academic institution in finance in Amsterdam. The regional link of DSF is obvious given the strong position of the financial services sector in the Amsterdam metropolitan region. For example, 5.7% of

employment in the Amsterdam metropolitan region is generated by financial institutions. The AUC is a new joint initiative by the UvA and VU. It is a small, selective Honours college aiming high at academic excellence and with a strong outreach to the local communities and business life.

Box 4-1: Amsterdam University College

The Amsterdam University College (AUC) is a small, selective Honours college. AUC is a joint initiative by the University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam. In order to realize AUC UvA and VU have combined their resources. The universities have received a Sirius subsidy of EUR 7.5 million from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to set up AUC. The municipality contributes another EUR 5 million from the Amsterdam Topstad programme. By creating the AUC, both universities intend to put Amsterdam on the map as a ‘knowledge city’ and to bring more (international) top talent to Amsterdam. The regional significance of AUC is that two regional universities, which have quite a different profile and a history of competition, have acknowledged their mutual interest and decided to work together in this initiative.

AUC offers a fully English taught three-year liberal arts and sciences programme at Bachelor level. AUC aims high at academic excellence with an international and intercultural focus, as well as outreach to the (local) community and business life. Education at AUC is given from the conviction that talented students of today have to learn, think and work across the borders of language, culture and disciplines. They will have to compete and cooperate on a global scale. AUC intends to be a place where excellence and diversity come together. Compared to mainstream Dutch universities, the AUC provides more demanding, intensive studies with a stronger regional dimension. Education at AUC is characterized by its small scale and high demanding programmes. Per year only 200 to 300 students will be allowed to enter AUC and they are selected based on academic qualities and motivation. Moreover, half of the students come from abroad and the cultural diversity of the students is strongly looked over.

The VU mentions its Zuidas master programme entrepreneurial law as the most profound example of regionally-oriented education. The Zuidas master programme has been set up in cooperation with the banking industry and law firms located on the Zuidas business district in Amsterdam. It is directed at fulfilling the regional need for professional and legal knowledge. Moreover, the economics and language departments also offer several educational programmes with a regional relevance. The economics department provides master degrees in logistics and

transport, finance, financial management and accountancy. These are disciplines with a strong connection to the economic profile of the Amsterdam metropolitan region. The language department of VU has recently created the educational programme ‘Arts & Market’, which focuses on the economic value of arts and delivers knowledge suitable for the auction houses in Amsterdam. The language department also offers a fashion design programme, which connects with the strong position of the creative industry in the region. Aside from its educational

programmes at undergraduate and graduate level, the VU also provides courses to postgraduates. While these courses have not been set up in response to regional needs, they are popular among regionally employed people. For instance, within the economics faculty 1,600 employees from (regional) businesses are receiving postgraduate education each year. The VU Law Academy (VULA) organizes postgraduate courses in the field of law. Many lecturers at VULA are practitioners from the banking industry and law firms. Besides giving education to working professionals, the VU also offers higher education to elderly. This kind of education is provided more as a form of social responsibility than a way to generate revenue.

Compared to UvA and VU, the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA) and Hogeschool INHolland offer a curriculum that is more directed towards meeting regional needs. The content of

educational programmes at HvA is often shaped in accordance with regional needs. Many programmes use internships as a way to provide practice related knowledge to their students. The HvA also participates in several initiatives where students work together with regional

stakeholders. For instance, the department of health at HvA has a national training center to educate nurses and paramedical professionals. It offers training to all regional institutions of health care in Amsterdam. The department of health is currently also developing master programmes in cooperation with working professionals. Another example of demand oriented education is the plan for an educational programme in media studies. The HvA is currently conducting a feasibility study together with media companies in Hilversum to determine if there is need for such a programme. INHolland has set the explicit aim to accommodate its supply of educational programmes to regional needs. The INHolland branch Amsterdam/Diemen is focusing its educational supply on the theme Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure, the financial sector located on the Zuidas, airport Schiphol, innovation in the medical sector (cooperation with AMC and VUmc), ICT as well as the theme Creative City and media corporations along the Hilversum-Amsterdam-Haarlem axis.

The research universities UvA and VU see it as their mission to gear students with academic competencies in order for them to play a valuable role on the labor market. This implies that in principle UvA and VU do not offer educational programmes that are directed towards meeting the short term need for training students for existing known skill number gaps. One exception are UvA’s forensic sciences programmes, such as the Master in Forensic Science. Conversely, educational programmes at the medical centers AMC and VUmc are quite strongly directed at regional needs, due to their roles as health care providers to the regional community. On the short term VUmc educates medical and nursing personnel through the Amstel Academie and PAOG (Post Academic Education Medical Science). AMC has similar programmes to fulfill short term skill number gaps. On the medium to long term, AMC and VUmc provide medical specialist educational programmes which are for one part directed at regional needs and for the other determined by the regulatory framework and professional standards. Contrary to the universities, educational programmes at HvA are in general more focused on short term regional needs. For instance, work-based learning arrangements are frequently used within educational programmes. One example of an initiative at HvA with a more medium to long term focus is ITS-Academy, which has been established by UAS institutions and high schools in the Amsterdam region. The goal of ITS-Academy is to promote technical education among high school students.

The UvA and VU are offering a number of learning programmes that aim to enhance the

enterprising capacity of students to take advantage of regional issues and opportunities. At UvA, the faculty of economics and business has set up the Amsterdam Center for Entrepreneurship (ACE), which provides the educational programme Entrepreneurship to a broad group of

students. During this programme students are familiarized with entrepreneurship from an academic perspective and during a period of several months set up and run their own business. Another initiative in which UvA and VU participate is the Center of Amsterdam Schools for Entrepreneurship (CASE), which aims to improve education in the field of entrepreneurship. CASE strives to make entrepreneurship a core quality of Amsterdam students and connects students with regional entrepreneurs. CASE also organizes networking meetings, summer schools and workshops for students who start their own business. Moreover, the VU offers a minor in entrepreneurship as part of its regular educational programme. The practice-related components of this programme anticipate on local problems, such as the security, the role of retail

organizations and corporate transfers. At HvA and INHolland learning programmes in

enterprising take a more prominent role than at the research universities. Entrepreneurship plays an explicit role in all educational programmes at these institutions. At HvA there is a diverse supply of minor programmes in which entrepreneurship forms a central part of the curriculum. Examples of these minors are: Media Entrepreneurship, Health Promotion, Cultural

Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship in Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Public Law for Entrepreneurs. At INHolland students are required to participate in learning- working-companies (leerwerkbedrijven) in years two and three of their Bachelor programme. In year two the focus is on learning to enterprise and in year three on innovation development in cooperation with the working field.