Interaction between Industry and Higher Education in the British Experience

The British experience in the interaction between university and industry offers stimulating food for the pursuit of solutions in Italy. It is the method even more that the achievement that seems particulary interesting.

Two themes are singgled out that reflect the dynamics of transformztion of the system: The growth of the polytechnics, i.e. an alternative educatinal and training channel to the university; the reorganization of the whole engineering profession and the creation of a new training model for engineers.

The general picture of the British system and its evolution, outlined by the Italian and English experts, is supplemented by reports from the business world.

They cover the experience of two of most important British industrial groups: The ICI, from the viewpoint of a single company (ICI Paints) and the BP, with the accent on group strategy.

THe initiatives of the Council for Industry and Higher Education facilitate the interaction between university and industry at the level of the system and accentuate the driving effect of big business on the whole production fabric.