Page 131 - A Handbook for Academia, Industry and Policymakers: Reinforcing the Innovation-Employability Nexus in the Mediterranean

130 REINFORCING THE INNOVATION-EMPLOYABILITY NEXUS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REINFORCING THE INNOVATION-EMPLOYABILITY NEXUS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 131

universities tended to be implicit. The quality of • Voluntarily converge with EU development in
teaching and learning was maintained principally higher education
by reliance on the shared norms and disciplinary • Promote people to people contacts, intercultural
traditions of the academic staff . However, awareness, and understanding
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Capacity Development with the changing role of academia, higher
and Continuous Change education institutions and their governance Special emphasis is put on progression towards
bodies have been strengthening their strategic the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as
and operational processes evolving into learning higher education and research plays a unique
organisations. Exchange among universities in a role in producing new knowledge and innovation
region is a well-recognised form of institutional to address global challenges, especially SDGs 4,
leaning. In Morocco, for instance, the Euromed 8, 9, and 17.
University of Fes is a new regional centre of
Universities are learning organisations. They are dedicated to excellence promoting dialogue, intercultural The Erasmus+ programme is mainly made up of

learning – they create and acquire knowledge. At the same time, exchange, sharing of knowledge and cooperation three so-called ‘Key Actions’ (KA): (a) Learning
higher education institutions are complex structures and therefore in the fields of higher education, research and Mobility of Individuals, (b) Cooperation for
Innovation and Good Practice, and (c) Support
innovation. A different model can be seen in
approaching change and organisational learning is not simple nor Téthys, which extends academic partnerships to Policy Reforms. In terms of organisational
obvious. Yet, fast-changing external conditions and pressures, to a network, opening institutional boundaries capacity development, the actions under KA2

such as the Covid-19 crisis, have forced universities to strengthen to large-scale international cooperation which (Cooperation for Innovation and Good Practice)
make it possible for organisations from different
can facilitate many forms of exchange, such as
their strategic and operational capacity, enhance their scholarship shared programmes for staff and students, that participating countries to work together, to
and teaching, improve relevance, develop coherent practices, can strengthen a university’s efforts in developing develop, share and transfer best practices and
and fulfil their so-called ‘third mission’. As a result, academic capacity. Téthys is supported by Aix-Marseille innovative approaches in the fields of education,
training and youth.
University and brings together more than 70
institutions and their governance bodies have been investing in universities from 19 countries including the main
organisational learning by developing a shared vision, aligning universities of the Maghreb, the Mashriq and KA2 is related to the European Universities
institutional strategies, adapting governance and engaging the countries of southern Europe. A place for a initiative which allows an inter-university campus
through long-term structural and strategic
higher education institution to begin the process
academic and administrative staff in the continuous improvement of evaluating its current capacity for change cooperation between existing universities,
of research, teaching, student services and other topics linked to could be through the HEInnovate initiative, which developing a regional identity. This type of
the expanded role of the contemporary university. Organisational offers an assessment tool, open and available to cooperation could be an inspiration for similar
South-South structures. There are two Erasmus+
all institutions regardless of geographical area.
learning has therefore become a key factor for long-term success. Details about HEInnovate can be found at the end theme areas under KA2 that are of particular
In support of this trend, Erasmus+ has expanded their funding of this chapter. interest to universities and research institutes:

offer. Their 2021-2027 programme offers numerous opportunities Higher education capacity development • Knowledge Alliances to foster innovation
for a wide range of organisations, including universities, research and Erasmus+ project funding in and through higher education together
organisations, education and training providers, think-tanks, and with businesses, and beyond, contributing
private businesses. The European Union's Erasmus+ programme to new approaches to teaching and learning,
entrepreneurship in education, and the
offers numerous opportunities for universities modernisation of higher education systems
and research institutes – but also think-tanks • Capacity-building projects in the field of
and business organisations – to engage in higher higher education to support the modernisation,
In academia, change and organisational learning can be very education capacity development. All countries accessibility, and internationalisation of higher
complex tasks. Universities are ‘knowing organisations’ , INSTITUTIONAL LOGICS around the Mediterranean basin have access education in Partner Countries
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which can make it challenging to transform them into ‘learning Institutional logics are systems of to the programme. The aim of the Erasmus+
organisations’. The motivations behind the actions taken by cultural elements (values, beliefs, programme is to support eligible partner As part of a project, organisations may engage in
individuals inside higher education institutions are not always and normative expectations) by which countries to development and networking activities, including
clear. Depending on the national system and the organisation, people, groups, and organisations • Modernise, internationalise, and increase strategic improvement of the professional skills
hierarchies and governance structures can be rather ambiguous . make sense of and evaluate their access to higher education of their staff, organisational capacity building, and
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Moreover, the various disciplines inside the same academic everyday activities, and organise • Address the challenges facing their higher creating transnational cooperative partnerships
institution often have diverging institutional logics . In the past, the those activities in time and space 57 education institutions and systems with organisations from other countries in order
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traditional way of assuring academic quality and relevance within • Increase cooperation with the EU to produce innovative outputs or exchange best