Mapping 3M activities and needs at UPT

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Mapping 3M activities and needs at UPT
Developing Third Mission Activities in Albanian
UniversitiesMapping 3M activities in partner
universities Kick-off seminar on 3M activities
Polytechnic University of Tirana Prof.Assoc.
Mimoza DhramiTirana, 13th February 2013

• E3M-AL PROJECT - DEVELOPING THIRD MISSION
  ACTIVITIES IN ALBANIAN UNIVERSITIESProject No
  530243-TEMPUS-1-2012-1-ES-TEMPUS-SMHESThis
  project has been funded with support from the
  European Commission.This publication reflects
  only the views of the authors, and the Commission
  cannot be held responsible for any use, which may
  be made of the information contained therein.

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Short profile of UPT

• Institutional Organizing
• Stage I Established on 1951 as Higher
  Polytechnic Institution with study programs
  mainly in engineering areas.
• Stage II Merged into State Tirana University as
  Engineering Faculty and Faculty of Geology and
  Mining, on 1957.
• Stage III Divided all Engineering Faculties from
  Tirana University on 1991 and established
  Polytechnic University of Tirana.
• Now in UPT there are
• Six Faculties
• One Research Institute
• 78 study programs at three levels
• Bachelor 20 study programs
• Master 33 study programs in Msc and 18 study
  programs in PM
• Doctoral degree 7 study programs
• About 12950 students enrolled at all study
  programs

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Organogram of UPT
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Regional context

• UPT is unique in its own kind. It cover all the
  branches of industrial development
• Extraction and processing industries,
• Energy,
• Transport,
• Telecommunication,
• Information technology,
• Building and civil construction industries,
• Hydro power industry,
• Material and mechanical industries ,
• Textile
• Environment, etc.
• Study Program Development
• Each stage is characterized by developing of
  study programs in two directions
• Growth in numbers related to new developing
  directions of economy
• Improving the existing curriculas in order to
  response better new development of science and
  technology

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Regional context

• New study programs developed during last 10-15
  years are
• Engineering of mechatronics
• Economic engineering,
• Geo-informatics,
• Geo-environment,
• Telecommunication,
• Computer science,
• Mathematic engineering,
• Physics engineering,
• Contribution of UPT is very important in
• regional studies and designing,
• professional consulting,
• training and continual education,
• technology and knowledge transfer, etc.

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Changes in the role of universities

• Restructuring of study programs in frame of
  Bologna Process
• Bachelor
• Master
• Doctoral
• Reforming process is extending to
• Scientific research,
• Institutional restructuring
• Infrastructure renewal
• Growth of economy has enhanced the needs of
  collaboration of UPT with
• central and local governments,
• business,
• non-profit organization

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Changes in the role of universities

• Our staff is involved in carrying out some
  activities as
• National and regional studies
• Engineering designing,
• Technical consultancies,
• Professional training,
• Developing new techniques and technologies at
  small and medium enterprises,
• Transferring new knowledge,
• Testing at accreditation laboratory,

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INSTITUTIONALPERSPECTIVE TO U3M

• Main types of U3M activities developed at UPT
  are
• Short courses in frame of Continuing education.
• Involvement in research project and consultancy
  activities
• On basis of individual initiative
• On basis of institutional representatives
• Involvement in technical boards of independent
  organizations (as accreditation, standardization
  and metrology) carrying out activities in the
  national quality infrastructures.
• Institute of GEWE is performing studies and
  monitoring activities in the fields of seismic
  and geology engineering, meteorological data,
  water impact at land erosion, etc. All this are
  supported activities of different branches of
  economy.
• Performing different testing at accreditation
  laboratory
• Participating as main speakers or lectors in
  seminars, trainings, workshops in order to raise
  awareness and knowledge of society in different
  fields

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INSTITUTIONALPERSPECTIVE TO U3M

• The most important U3M activities for UPT are
• studies and researches related to needs of
  industrial sectors,
• consulting and designing activities mainly in the
  construction sector,
• continuing education,
• consultancies and training at small enterprises
  in technical and managing issues
• Activities of accreditation laboratory.
• Activities related to social engagement of our
  academic staff and students are at the beginning

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Policy and strategy towards U3M activities

• In UPT strategy, for the first time, there are
  documented policies about U3M activities
• Better recognition of needs and requirements of
  third interested parties related to U3M
  activities and better orientation of researches
  in order to meet these requirements.
• Better and more complete updating of potential
  opportunities of Institution related U3M
  activities and improving publicity for these
  activities.
• Improving of material and technical base and
  extending of accreditation and licensing for U3M
  activities.
• Main types of U3M activities most encouraged are
  those related to
• technology transfer and innovation (mainly
  transferring skills and knowledge)
• activities related to continuing education.

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Policy and strategy towards U3M activities

• Activities about social engagement are relatively
  limited, mainly in directions
• Contribution in strengthening of engineers
  associations in Albania and collaborating in
  different events,
• Encouraging and supporting sports and cultural
  activities of students associations
• Financial supporting of the low-income students
  and excellent students,
• Collaborating with organizations engaged in life,
  health and environment protection
• There are no written policies to encourage U3M
  activities via human resources management
  incentives,
• Polytechnic University has supported its staff to
  perform such activities by recognising their role
  and not impeding in realizing this kind of
  activities.

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Main problems and needs at institutional level to
promote U3M

• Technology transfer innovation
• Main problems
• Lack of RD infrastructure (laboratories and
  related infrastructure)
• The part of budget for RD is too low.
• Financial scheme of University and poor
  infrastructure dont stir up the staff to perform
  this activity inside university
• Needs
• investments in RD infrastructure, scientific
  libraries and access to international scientific
  publications
• Improving financial scheme, improving financial
  autonomy extending it to base units
• Institutional relationships and sustainable
  collaboration with central and local government
• increasing the funds for RD
• involving of UPT in major studies and developing
  plans as collaborator, consultant or opponent.
  

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Main problems and needs at institutional level to
promote U3M

• Continuing education
• Main problems
• Process of designing, reviewing and approving of
  new program is too long,
• Lack of necessary infrastructure to support this
  activity,
• Scheme of financial management is not incentive
• Needs
• Establishing the necessary institutional
  framework (legal and administrative) to develop
  and provide continuing education activities at
  the institutional level.
• Improving the funding management scheme
• Extending the necessary infrastructure

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Main problems and needs at institutional level to
promote U3M

• Social engagement
• Main problems
• A very low perception about the social engagement
  role of university.
• Lack of policies and the forms to encourage these
  activities,
• Lack of sport fields, gymnasiums and other
  creative centres impede developing the cultural
  and sports activities
• Needs
• Increasing the investments in infrastructure for
  cultural and sport activities.
• Awareness of staff and students about the
  benefits of social engagement
• Developing the policies and forms to encourage
  social activities

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Main problems, legal limitations and needs at
regional level to promote U3M

• Technology transfer innovation
• Main problems
• The end users are not awareness to use the best
  practises and technologies at technical fields,
  especially at those with higher risk levels or
  environmental protection practices or energy
  saving practice, etc.
• Legal limitations
• There are not local policies and mechanisms to
  incite business and lead them towards new
  technologies, standards application and best
  practises in technical fields.
• Needs
• A complete legal framework for the technology
  transfer and innovation

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Main problems, legal limitations and needs at
regional level to promote U3M

• Continuing education
• Main problems
• Continuing education is partly related to
  regional policy.
• There is not a strong coordination between main
  units of Local Government and those of
  University.
• Local government should have policies related to
  training and increasing of competences of its
  adminisrtration in order to meet nowadays
  requirements
• Legal limitations
• There are not legal limitations on this issue
• Needs
• More collaboration between faculties/universities
  and local institutions

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Main problems, legal limitations and needs at
regional level to promote U3M

• Social engagement
• Main problems
• University should promote this activity with
  collaboration with local or regional institutions
  
• Legal limitations
• There are not legal limitations on this issue
• Needs
• Representative from local institution at
  administration council of the university and visa
  versa.

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Main problems, legal limitations and needs at
national level to promote U3M

• Technology transfer innovation
• Main problems
• The national education policy should determine
  the U3M activities as part of obligation of the
  universities, as well indicator for university
  evaluation or ranking.
• Universities have to ensure a real financial
  autonomy and financial scheme have to promote
  these activities.
• The part of GDP allocated to Universities for
  applied researches have to be significantly
  increased.
• Investments towards extending and improving the
  university infrastructure need to be main
  objectives of national policies.
• Legal limitations
• There are no clear determination at national
  policy in the context of technology transfer and
  innovation.
• Needs
• Investments in RD infrastructure to make
  possible university to be involved in technology
  transfer innovation activities.
• Including the indicators of technology transfer
  and innovation at university evaluation.

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Main problems, legal limitations and needs at
national level to promote U3M

• Continuing education
• Main problems
• National policy should encourage more the
  continuing education
• Continuing education should be part of
  performance evaluation of the workers at all
  public and private institutions.
• Legal limitations
• Weak legal recognition of such activities for
  career development
• Needs
• Increasing the financial support, especially
  public one for continuing education activities.
• Increasing the building capacity and supporting
  facilities to carry out this activity

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Main problems, legal limitations and needs at
national level to promote U3M

• Social engagement
• Main problems
• Low awareness of the government about social
  engagement role of the universities.
• Legal limitations
• This kind of activities is not evaluating as
  bonus for career developing
• Needs
• Raise the awareness of the public (government
  included) on the role of the universities as
  social engagement centre.
• Increase the investments in University
  infrastructure for culture and sport activities.
• Evaluate the social engagement as a bonus for
  career developing.

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• THANK YOU
• FOR YOUR ATTENTION