Amsterdam, Netherlands - OECD

1 Please cite this paper as: SEO Economisch Onderzoek (2009), amsterdam , Netherlands : Self-Evaluation Report , OECD Reviews of Higher Education in Regional and City Development, IMHE, Directorate for EducationProgramme on Institutional Managementin Higher Education (IMHE) OECD Reviews of Higher Education in Regional and City Development amsterdam , Netherlands SELF-EVALUATION REPORT SEO Economisch Onderzoek This report was prepared by SEO Economisch Onderzoek in collaboration with a number of higher education institutions in amsterdam as an input to the OECD Review of Higher Education in Regional and City Development. It was prepared in response to guidelines provided by the OECD to all participating regions. The guidelines encouraged constructive and critical evaluation of the policies, practices and strategies in HEIs regional engagement.

2 The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of SEO Economisch Onderzoek, the OECD or its Member countries . amsterdam , november, 2009 Review of higher education institutions in Regional and city development Self-evaluation report of amsterdam Bert Tieben Theo Smid De wetenschap dat het goed is SEO Economisch Onderzoek doet onafhankelijk toegepast onderzoek in opdracht van overheid en bedrijfsleven. Ons onderzoek helpt onze opdrachtgevers bij het nemen van beslissingen. SEO Economisch Onderzoek is gelieerd aan de Universiteit van amsterdam . Dat geeft ons zicht op de nieuwste wetenschappelijke methoden. We hebben geen winstoogmerk en investeren continu in het intellectueel kapitaal van de medewerkers via promotietrajecten, het uitbrengen van wetenschappelijke publicaties, kennisnetwerken en congresbezoek.

3 SEO-rapport nr. 951 ISBN 978-90-6733-525-6 Copyright 2009 SEO amsterdam . Alle rechten voorbehouden. Het is geoorloofd gegevens uit dit rapport te gebruiken in artikelen en dergelijke, mits daarbij de bron duidelijk en nauwkeurig wordt vermeld. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES .. 1 LIST OF ACRONYMS .. 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .. 5 1. OVERVIEW OF THE REGION .. 9 Introduction .. 9 The geographical situation .. 9 Location of the amsterdam metropolitan area .. 9 The amsterdam metropolitan area in perspective .. 11 The settlement structure .. 12 Location of Higher Education Institutes .. 13 The demographic situation .. 14 Age structure and migration .. 14 Levels of deprivation .. 16 Health and wellbeing .. 16 Participation in higher education .. 17 The economic and social base .. 20 Overview .. 20 Research & development.

4 23 Social and cultural characteristics of the region .. 24 Labor market indicators .. 26 The governance structure .. 27 Governance in the Netherlands .. 27 Governance in the amsterdam metropolitan region .. 29 2 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM .. 33 Introduction .. 33 Overview of the national system of higher education .. 33 Universities .. 35 Universities of Applied Sciences .. 35 Accreditation .. 36 Overall size of the higher education system .. 37 Dutch HEIs in an international perspective .. 41 Issues and debates .. 42 Higher education and the labor market .. 43 Governance and the regulatory framework .. 45 Federal governance .. 45 Advisory bodies .. 45 Consultative bodies .. 45 Intermediary organizations .. 46 Interest groups .. 46 Funding .. 46 Regional dimension inside the national higher education policy.

5 49 Regional higher education system and governance .. 51 3 CONTRIBUTION OF RESEARCH TO REGIONAL INNOVATION .. 53 Introduction .. 53 Framework conditions for promoting research and innovation .. 53 A theoretical framework .. 53 National legal framework .. 55 National funding framework .. 56 The amsterdam metropolitan area in a national innovation strategy .. 59 Regional innovation strategy of the amsterdam metropolitan area .. 59 Key clusters of economic activity according to RIS .. 63 ICT and the creative industry .. 63 Trade and logistics .. 63 Life Sciences .. 64 Sustainability .. 64 The importance of innovative clusters for the local economy .. 65 Innovation output in the amsterdam region .. 69 Responding to regional needs and demands .. 70 Interfaces facilitating knowledge exploitation and exchange.

6 75 The role of the university TTOs .. 75 Results of the TTOs .. 76 Other mechanisms to commercialize the knowledge base .. 76 Conclusion .. 77 The need for cooperation .. 77 SWOT analysis .. 79 4 CONTRIBUTION OF TEACHING & LEARNING TO LABOR MARKET AND SKILLS 83 Introduction .. 83 Supply and demand of (higher) education and the labor market .. 83 Localising the learning process .. 85 Interaction between HEIs and regional needs .. 85 The integration of students in the region .. 88 Postgraduate activity and regional needs .. 89 Strategic regional coalitions .. 89 Student recruitment and regional employment .. 91 Student recruitment .. 91 HEIs as part of the regional education supply chain .. 94 Regional employment .. 94 Promoting lifelong learning, continuing professional development and training.

7 95 Lifelong learning, continuing education and professional development .. 95 Education and minority groups .. 97 Changing forms of educational provision .. 99 Enhancing the regional learning system .. 101 Conclusion .. 103 5 CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT .. 107 Introduction .. 107 Social development .. 107 Welfare state and social development .. 107 Health care and social services provision .. 109 Production and dissemination of knowledge .. 109 Infrastructures and volunteering services .. 110 Cultural development .. 110 Environmental sustainability .. 112 Economic importance .. 112 Conclusion .. 114 6 CAPACITY BUILDING FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION .. 117 Introduction .. 117 Origin and governance of the HEIs in the amsterdam metropolitan area .. 117 Mechanisms to promote regional engagement of HEIs.

8 120 Formal and informal mechanisms .. 120 Financial resources for regional engagement .. 121 The role of the regional government .. 122 Promoting regional dialogue and joint marketing initiatives .. 123 Evaluating and mapping the impact of the regional higher education system .. 124 Institutional capacity building for regional involvement .. 125 Creating a new organizational culture .. 125 7 CONCLUSIONS: MOVING BEYOND THE SELF-EVALUATION .. 127 Introduction .. 127 The contribution of HEIs to city and regional development .. 127 The challenges for regional cooperation .. 131 Conclusion: the road forward .. 132 The need for increased investment .. 132 Two scenario s for future action .. 133 The action plan linked to the regional communities scenario .. 134 The action plan building on the global competition scenario.

9 135 Conclusion .. 136 REFERENCES .. 139 ANNEX A: MAP OF THE amsterdam METROPOLITAN AREA .. 149 ANNEX B: HEIs IN THE amsterdam METROPOLITAN AREA .. 150 ANNEX C: KEY ECONOMIC INDICATORS .. 155 ANNEX D: ORGANIZATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS IN THE HE-SYSTEM .. 156 ANNEX E: REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS OF amsterdam HEIs .. 157 ANNEX F: BUSINESSES REPRESENTED IN THE ADVISORY BOARD OF IAMSTARTER 161 ANNEX G: CAREER DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES .. 162 GLOSSARY .. 163 LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Box 2-1: Bologna Declaration .. 34 Box 3-1: Innovation in the amsterdam metropolitan region, key organizations .. 60 Box 3-2: Responding to regional needs and demands .. 72 Box 4-1: amsterdam University College .. 86 Box 4-2: amsterdam Graduate School of Science .. 90 Box 4-3: Market failure in lifelong learning .. 96 Box 4-4: Honours Programmes .. 100 Box 6-1: Sustainability in amsterdam ( amsterdam Duurzaam).

10 122 Box 6-2: Obstacles for collaboration between SMEs and UASs .. 123 Box 6-3: Univercity at the Zuidas .. 125 Box 7-1: amsterdam Bright City .. 129 Box 7-2: Four futures for Europe .. 134 Table 1-1: The amsterdam metropolitan region in a national perspective .. 11 Table 1-2: Higher Education Institutions in the amsterdam metropolitan region .. 13 Table 1-3: Ten largest employers in the amsterdam metropolitan region (1 January 2007) .. 22 Table 1-4: Ownership structure companies by number of workers per business .. 23 Table 1-5: Employees by size of business (%) .. 23 Table 1-6: R&D expenditures .. 24 Table 1-7: Other indicators of innovative strength .. 24 Table 1-8: Key labor market indicators .. 26 Table 1-9: Unemployment (% of population aged 15-64) .. 27 Table 2-1: Student enrolment at UAS in the amsterdam metropolitan area.