UDC 378.4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30839/2072-7941.2018.149679

UNIVERSITY COLLABORATION WITH BUSINESS IN
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

© MEJERYTE-NARKEVICIENE, KRISTINA
Lithuanian Sports University (Kaunas, Lithuania)
E-mail: kristina.mejeryte@lsu.lt, ORCID 0000-0003-0629-3265

Abstract. The relevance of the research is that university and business collaboration is
the main implementation tool of the third university mission. University-business
collaboration (UBC) has risen to one of the top priorities for many higher education
institutions, with its importance mirroring attention from scholars and policy makers
worldwide. In the face of increasing global competition, business was challenged to seek new
methods for creating their competitive advantage and at the same time, the decreasing budgets
of higher education institutions were pressured to find new streams of financing. In both
cases, collaboration in different forms is an important method for achieving their objectives.
Ten types of UBC are related quite directly to the missions of the university and the needs of
business but one of them curriculum development and delivery is very important. Using this
form for UBC, could help to develop human resources relevant to modern society. The main
instruments and activities in this form of collaboration as identified by business is too little
used. The research aim was to identify the activities of university and leisure organizations
used for collaboration in curriculum development. The objectives of the research: to
determine the forms of UBC, to identify the activities used for universities and leisure
organizations collaboration in curriculum development. Analysis of recent research and
publications. UBC became the subject of education and management sciences. Recently,
much attention has been paid to UBC collaboration practices (M. Ilyas, G. Dutrenit, D.
Golder-Buckley, V. Garousi, K. Petersen) especially a lot of research on practices was done
about universities collaboration in R&D and commercialisation of R&D. P. D'Este and M.
Perkmann explored the factors of UBC, the types were identified by T. Davey, T. Baaken, V.
Galan Muros, A. Meerman, T. Barnes, A. Gibbons and the levels of UBC were represented by
B.N. Ponomariov, P.C. Boardman, T. Davey. The benefits of UBC to research quality have
been studied by researchers M. Crespo and H. Dridi, as a collaborative factor for learning
improvement by researchers K. Ramakrishnan, N.M. Yasin, A. Draghici, as a quality factor
UBC was analysed by M. Perkmann, Z. King, S. Pavelin. The main researchers who analysed
the UBC in curriculum development was the T. Davey, A. Healy, C. Plewa, T. Baaken. An
overview of the study of this object shows that it was mostly analysed in vocational training
and in last ten years’ period the publications is growing in UBC. Research methodology. The
paper seeks to represent the collaboration forms, which was used by university with the
business organizations from leisure industry. As well, it seeks to identify the activities of
business collaboration in curriculum design, development and evaluation. Methods applied
for the research was scientific literature review, a questionnaire survey for business
organization leaders and mathematical statistics.
Conclusion. The results of business organizations show the positive impact for increasing
the university collaboration as a hole but in study programs, curriculum development shows
that it is needed more business engagement. With the business engagement into curriculum
academics, expect to be given the opportunity to transfer theoretical ideas into practical
projects and to implement research in the real world. At the same time, the business engage in
the curriculum development mostly through giving guest’s lectures and consultations, place
for practice, or organizing the different events with the academics.
© Mejeryte-Narkeviciene, Kristina, 2018
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Keywords: university and business collaboration, collaboration forms, curriculum design,
curriculum development, business collaboration in curriculum.