NVAO's FOQUS magazine explores how universities and universities of applied sciences can successfully engage in co-creation with the professional field. It examines the added value of such collaboration for all stakeholders involved, the practical conditions required for success, ways to stimulate creativity, and approaches to evaluating co-creation initiatives.
Continuously renewing higher education through the input and active involvement of the professional field is not always straightforward, but it can produce highly impactful results. The participation of professional stakeholders in advisory boards and programme committees has become common practice and contributes to the baseline quality of higher education. However, co-creation with the professional field can extend far beyond these traditional forms of engagement. For example, employers and academic programmes can jointly design course units, teaching methods and assessment approaches that actively engage students in learning and prepare them for their future careers. Alternatively, students may work on a real-world challenge presented by a company, with their solutions generating valuable learning outcomes not only for themselves, but also for professionals, academic staff and fellow students.
Given the wide range of co-creation models and initiatives, it can be challenging to navigate the possibilities. How can the different learning trajectories of all partners involved be aligned around a collective and shared objective? What is needed to stimulate creativity? How can co-creation with the professional field be evaluated effectively?
In this FOQUS magazine, a variety of national and international experts share their insights, present conceptual frameworks, and illustrate these through examples of good practice from Flemish higher education. The practices and recommendations featured in the publication can serve as a source of inspiration for higher education institutions and programmes that are already engaged in co-creation or are looking to develop such initiatives. In short, the magazine offers a wealth of practical guidance for both experienced professionals and those taking their first steps in co-creation with the professional field. Each chapter begins with a theoretical foundation and gradually moves towards practical application through concrete examples and projects.
The magazine was developed through a co-creative process involving Erasmus University College Brussels, PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the Antwerp Maritime Academy, LUCA School of Arts, Odisee University of Applied Sciences, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, and the NVAO.