From concept to reality in implementing the Knowledge Triangle

Abstract

The concept of Knowledge Triangle (KT) links together research, education and innovation and replaces the traditional ‘one way’ flow of knowledge, essentially from research to education, by a ‘both ways’ circular motion between all the corners of a triangle that, besides research and education, also includes innovation, the ‘poor relation’ of many universities. What are the main issues – barriers and drivers – and what could be done in order to make the concept of KT a strong reality in engineering education? In this paper, the authors intend to bring some answers by analysing three cases coming from actors operating at the three corners of the KT: students, academic staff and engineers in industry.

Keywords:

• Knowledge Triangle
• role of university
• engineering education
• PhD in industry
• cognitive process
• innovation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

About the authors

Ellen Sjoer is presently in charge of the research programme ‘Sustainable Talent Development’ at the Hague University of Applied Sciences and a lecturer and researcher at Delft University of Technology. She is specialised in knowledge and innovation management, professional development including e-learning and (technology-based) entrepreneurship. She was involved in various national and international projects concerning lifelong learning and university-industry cooperation.

Bente Nørgaard is Senior Researcher within the Development and Planning Department of Aalborg University, where she deals with Problem Based Learning (PBL) in Engineering Education and with Sustainable Leadership. For the past few years, her primary research area has been continuing engineering education in SMEs, for which she has been involved in several national and international research projects.

Marc Goossens obtained an engineering Master degree in nuclear physics from the University of Liège in 1966. He worked successively in industry, in university, in insurance and as a self-employed trainer for engineers, before retiring in 2008. Since 2005, he has been a Director and Executive Officer of SEII, with a focus on engineering education at European level.