Fumi Kitagawa

Research, development and innovation: International, national and regional perspectives

University research has undergone profound transformation over the past three decades. Some of the well-known theses and models about the transformation in the academic system and the changing nature of science — such as the ‘Mode 2’ of knowledge production (Gibbons et al., 1994; Nowotny, Scott and Gibbons, 2001) and the ‘triple helix’ (Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff, 1997) model of interactions between government, university and industry — present broad pictures of the transformation of academic and research organization. In addition, in many parts of the world, universities are acknowledged to be important contributors to economic growth and crucial elements of ‘national innovation systems’ (Edquist, 2005; Mowery and Sampat, 2005; Nelson and Rosenberg, 1993) via the different mechanisms of academic knowledge transfers and exchanges at local, national and international level.

The evolution of internationalisation strategy: a case study of the University of Nottingham

Internationalisation is at the centre of debate on the future of higher education as an area of important strategic and organisational activity in the rapidly changing global and local landscapes within the knowledge-based economy. Internationalisation encompasses multiple dimensions of universities strategies, and there is limited understanding on how these different dimensions influence universities activities in a holistic way. Drawing on a case study of the University of Nottingham with its campuses in the UK, Malaysia and China, this paper examines the changing scope of its internationalisation strategies and how these strategies have affected four key institutional activities, namely, student learning, staff mobility, quality assurance, and community engagement. The study unpacks the concept of internationalisation through the lenses of stakeholder relationships and leadership theory and illustrates challenges of internationalisation as perceived by the university leaders and key stakeholders. Questions are raised about the sustainability of internationalisation strategies, in particular with regard to enhancing the quality of the student learning experiences in local contexts.

Multilevel policy governance and territorial adaptability: evidence from Japanese SME innovation programmes

ABSTRACT Science, technology and innovation (STI) policies increasingly operate in a multilevel policy governance structure. This paper analyzes the variety of local authorities’ innovation support mechanisms for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Japan, drawing on a unique data set of 241 local SME research and development (R&D) subsidy programmes at the prefecture and city/municipality levels. The variation of SME R&D subsidy programmes in terms of institutional forms and coordination practices of multilevel innovation support mechanisms is analyzed as manifestations of the complex territorial adaptability. The institutional co-evolutionary processes between different levels of governments help both vertical and horizontal coordination in a highly centralized system.

The Impact of EngD—Dynamics of Collaborative Relationships Through Employer Engagement in Doctoral Research Training

The important role of doctoral engineers as the next generation of scientific and technology leaders, who will underpin the competitiveness of the industry base, has been recognised among international R&D stakeholders and policy makers. In the UK, the Engineering Doctorate (EngD) programme was established 20 years ago as a scheme distinct from, and complementary to, the traditional PhD. The EngD is differentiated from PhD programmes as it expects doctoral researchers (Research Engineers: REs) to work closely with industry, by helping researchers acquire industry relevant skills as well as industry based research experience, while based in a company. This chapter draws on a pilot study conducted in 2013, which investigated the various forms of impacts resulting from EngD programmes—including the perceptions of business partners who fund research projects and host the REs, and the career destinations of the former REs. Four key routes to impacts are proposed as a conceptual framework in order to understand the variety of impacts of the collaborative doctoral training.