Możliwości współpracy polskich uczelni wyższych ze sferą biznesu

Abstract

The construction of the knowledge-based economy requires strengthening the system of connections between universities and the business environment. The co-operation of universities with enterprises contributes mutually to both a growth of their competitiveness and innovativeness and to an enhanced attractiveness of university graduates on the labour market. According to employers, the competence of Polish university graduates that is most acutely missing is the ability to link theoretical knowledge with business practice requirements. The paper presents the principal form of possible co-operation of universities with business, including: co-operation in research, commissioning topics of diploma theses, co-operation in the field of traineeships and delivering university courses by business representatives as well as institutional foundations of such co-operation. The last element of the paper is the presentation of selected results of our own survey among the alumni of the Faculty of International and Political Studies of the University of Lodz concerning their evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the university from the perspective of attractiveness of graduates on the labour market and possible forms of co-operation with their former faculty. Alumni may constitute a bridge between academia and business.