The Convergence of Science And Economic Policies in the US and EU

CSHE > Research > Issues of Science and Technology Policy > The Convergence of Science and Economic Policies in the US and EU

A Comparative Study on the Central Role of Universities in Economic Development

This research project is an international comparative study between the United States and European Union on emerging national and multi-national science policy regimes, their link with national economic policy, and the specific role of universities. The research productivity and abilities of research universities and their link with national economies has increasingly become a major focus of national science policies. This project focuses on the politics and impact of this shift, different national approaches among developed and emerging economies within the European Union, and the potential influence of new policy regimes, such as the European Research Area.

To date there have been no well-developed comparative studies on how and why these new policy regimes emerged, how they vary in their influence between nations and among research universities, their successes and failures, and the impact on their respective national higher education systems. Thus far, most analysis has been confined to the higher education institutions themselves. Burton Clark's work on entrepreneurial universities offers a beginning framework for analysis, but does not extensively assess external influences. This project includes institutional behavior and initiatives, but within the context of larger national and EU policy structures.

Principal Investigator: John Aubrey Douglass