European universities look to the future
Sustainability of university funding, financial management and the development of full costing constitute a primary element of Europe's modernisation agenda for its universities. Another element is the transparency and appropriateness of the measurement tools used to assess university-based collaborative research that reflects the diversity of university missions. The EUIMA project addressed these two issues, striving to outline how human resources and management in universities can be further developed. The rationale is that advances in both areas will ultimately enhance the attractiveness of university careers. EUIMA stands for 'European Universities Implementing their Modernisation Agenda'. The EUIMA project was set up to support university activities related to the sustainability of university funding, financial management and development of full costing. The researchers also looked at the transparency and appropriateness of measurement tools for the assessment of university-based research. The EUIMA project helped universities to better identify full costs related to projects and activities, and highlighted what actions are needed to achieve full costing. The latter include reforms enhancing financial autonomy and educational support in the form of staff training. With regard to collaborative research, outcomes from workshops and case studies indicated that core missions and long-term collaborative research activities can be made compatible across universities. The academic and business partners of the project identified new ways of assessing research collaborations covering five thematic areas. These are collaborative research processes, competitiveness and economic growth, expert services, human resources, and sustainability of the collaboration. Active from 2010 to 2012, the project ran in parallel with the development of the Horizon 2020. This is the European Commission's single common strategic framework for funding research and innovation over the 2014-2020 period. As such, the project outcomes contributed to various stakeholder consultations that were used to inform related policy developments. Results from the EUIMA project will continue to support the work of the European University Association. This will have a positive and long-lasting impact on university and business/external partner collaborations. It will also help universities achieve financial sustainability as well as develop the human resources needed to realise the modernisation agenda for European universities.
Keywords
European universities, funding, full costing, modernisation agenda, measurement tools, collaborative research, human resources, educational support, financial sustainability
