During the last decade, the relationship between university and non-university higher education institutions has changed. As a contribution to the knowledge economy, non-university higher education institutions are expected to educate their students in research activities. Previously, teaching was the main responsibility of lecturers in non-university higher education, while research hardly played a role. This paper is about the belief of lecturers in non-university higher education in their own research ability (research self-efficacy). In a survey study conducted among Dutch lecturers (N = 790), the research self-efficacy has been measured. A structural equation model shows the effects of personal aspects, mastery experience and organisational context on the research self-efficacy of lecturers. Research self-efficacy is also modelled in relation to lecturers’ need to work on professional development in research skills. Results show that research self-efficacy is mostly affected by aspects of mastery experience, in which the context is similar to the given task. Implications are discussed.
Worldwide, there is a growing recognition that strategic partnering between cities and universities can bring substantial benefits for both sides. The big question is how to organize such partnerships successfully. This handbook offers insights, best practices and advice for leaders in cities and universities that want to go beyond “ad hoc” projects and take the next step towards a strategic and sustainable partnership. The handbook identifies promising avenues, but also barriers and pitfalls and how to avoid them. Illustrated by a rich variety of examples from European cities, the handbook provides concrete advice on the various stages of strategic city-university collaboration. This handbook intends to provide inspiring practices and guidance to develop strategic interaction between city and university, considering the complex and layered nature of both. The focus lies on the more strategic, transformational types of collaborations, that are more complex.
Community Engaged Scholarship (CES) aims to develop mutually beneficial relationships between educational and research institutions and communities. In this project, we understand CES as a commitment to engaging in projects which acknowledge power imbalances and give space to discuss aspects of diversity, decolonization and inclusion with students engaged within them. With many projects being organized in the community as part of Occupational Therapy education, it is important to reflect on the ethics within working with communities, and the role of educators in facilitating them.This workshop is hosted by a group which aims to develop a resource toolkit for occupational therapy educators engaging with communities in education. The toolkit aims to facilitate critical reflection prior to and during community projects on aspects related to organizational issues and theoretical perspectives, as well as critically examining the curriculum, including the hidden curriculum. The workshop will present the findings of a pedagogical project which examined current experiences of students and teachers who have been involved in community projects as part of occupational therapy education grounded in multiple international settings. Participants will engage with the findings, discussing them in a fishbowl format and their relation to potential future guidelines for an educators’ tool-kit.
MULTIFILE
E-cycling intelligence is a research project directly connected to the PhD-research of Joost de Kruijf at the Utrecht University. Within the program the effects of the introduction of e-bikes in daily commuting are being investigated. Using a large-scale incentive program targeting on behavioral change among car-oriented commuters the next four specific components are being :- Modal shift to e-cycling- Well-being and travel satisfaction of e-bikes vs. car- Weather circumstances and e-cycling- Behavioral intention to e-bike vs. actual behavior Using a combination of three surveys (baseline, one month and half a year) and continuous GPS-measurement on the behavior of more than 800 participants makes this research unique. In collaboration with the TU/e the GPS-dataset is being translated into relevant information on modal shift on different trip purposes offering a new range of possibilities to analyses behavioral change. Knowledge on every of the four topics in the project is translated scientific paper. The expected end of the project is July 2021.With the research not new insights are being gained, the Breda University of Applied Sciences also develops a scientific network of cycling related researchers together with a network of cycling engaged road authorities.
The Dutch floriculture is globally leading, and its products, knowledge and skills are important export products. New challenges in the European research agenda include sustainable use of raw materials such as fertilizer, water and energy, and limiting the use of pesticides. Greenhouse growers however have little control over crop growth conditions in the greenhouse at individual plant level. The purpose of this project, ‘HiPerGreen’, is to provide greenhouse owners with new methods to monitor the crop growth conditions in their greenhouse at plant level, compare the measured growth conditions and the measured growth with expected conditions and expected growth, to point out areas with deviations, recommend counter-measures and ultimately to increase their crop yield. The main research question is: How can we gather, process and present greenhouse crop growth parameters over large scale greenhouses in an economical way and ultimately improve crop yield? To provide an answer to this question, a team of university researchers and companies will cooperate in this applied research project to cover several different fields of expertise The application target is floriculture: the production of ornamental pot plants and cut flowers. Participating companies are engaged in the cultivation of pot plans, flowers and suppliers of greenhouse technology. Most of the parties fall in the SME (MKB) category, in line with the RAAK MKB objectives.Finally, the Demokwekerij and Hortipoint (the publisher of the international newsletter on floriculture) are closely involved. The project will develop new knowledge for a smart and rugged data infrastructure for growth monitoring and growth modeling in the greenhouse. In total the project will involve approximately 12 (teacher) researchers from the universities and about 60 students, who will work in the form of internships and undergraduate studies of interesting questions directly from the participating companies.
The reclaiming of street spaces for pedestrians during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as on Witte de Withstraat in Rotterdam, appears to have multiple benefits: It allows people to escape the potentially infected indoor air, limits accessibility for cars and reduces emissions. Before ordering their coffee or food, people may want to check one of the many wind and weather apps, such as windy.com: These apps display the air quality at any given time, including, for example, the amount of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a gas responsible for an increasing number of health issues, particularly respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Ships and heavy industry in the nearby Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest seaport, exacerbate air pollution in the region. Not surprisingly, in 2020 Rotterdam was ranked as one of the unhealthiest cities in the Netherlands, according to research on the health of cities conducted by Arcadis. Reducing air pollution is a key target for the Port Authority and the City of Rotterdam. Missing, however, is widespread awareness among citizens about how air pollution links to socio-spatial development, and thus to the future of the port city cluster of Rotterdam. To encourage awareness and counter the problem of "out of sight - out of mind," filmmaker Entrop&DeZwartFIlms together with ONSTV/NostalgieNet, and Rotterdam Veldakademie, are collaborating with historians of the built environment and computer science and public health from TU Delft and Erasmus University working on a spatial data platform to visualize air pollution dynamics and socio-economic datasets in the Rotterdam region. Following discussion of findings with key stakeholders, we will make a pilot TV-documentary. The documentary, discussed first with Rotterdam citizens, will set the stage for more documentaries on European and international cities, focusing on the health effects—positive and negative—of living and working near ports in the past, present, and future.
