Cooperation with the Business Community and Other Educational Institutions
Cooperation with the business community
”Close interaction with the business community” is one of AU-IBT's core values but the study schedule at University of Aarhus, Institute of Business and Technology is not determined by the business community. On the other hand, the study programmes and the contents are tailored to meet the business community's demands.
It is important to develop study programmes which are of use to the business community and that is why AU-IBT takes the requirements and expectations of the business community seriously. This conception is reflected in many ways: For example, the majority of the members of AU-IBT's board of directors are representatives from the business community and there is an often mandatory placement of students.
Furthermore, AU-IBT was the first educational institution in Denmark offering study programmes in which the students are affiliated to a “mentor company” during their studies. This allows the students to try out theories, models, concepts etc. compared to real practical problems in the ”mentor companies”.
The Confederation of Danish Industries' Educational Prize
AU-IBT is the first educational institution awarded the Confederation of Danish Industries' Educational Prize. The justification from the prize committee states: "University of Aarhus, Institute of Business and Technology is a good example of interaction between the business community and educational institutions resulting in an innovative and popular educational programme in which elements from several programmes are combined. An educational programme which in its development involved players from the business community and several institutions. An educational programme directed towards the future and the requirements, which the business community, employees and thus the educational institutions are faced with due to globalisation."
The prize was presented by the Danish Minister of Education, who was pleased that an educational institution was awarded the prize:”AU-IBT has understood the importance of targeting the educational programme towards the requirements of the business community - and has managed to establish an educational programme in a local region which is popular among applicants from all over Denmark”, said the Danish Minister of Education.
Innovation MidtVest A/S
Innovation MidtVest A/S is housed in Birk Innovation & Research Centre directly across the road from University of Aarhus, Institute of Business and Technology. Innovation MidtVest A/S' object is to operate as an innovation environment, supporting people with great business ideas in the development of these ideas so they can form the basis of a viable business – also in the long run. Focus is ,particularly, on a constant growing entrepreneurial business community in Central and Western Jutland, which among other things means that Innovation MidtVest helps entrepreneurs from University of Aarhus, Institute of Business and Technology in setting up their own businesses.
International cooperation
A considerable part of AU-IBT's cooperation with other educational institutions consists in collaboration with foreign universities so as to create a basis for student exchange between AU-IBT and foreign universities. Furthermore, focus is to a high degree directed at international projects, in which the institutions work together across languages and frontiers – to develop joint degrees among other things.
At present, University of Aarhus, Institute of Business and Technology cooperates with more than 40 foreign universities primarily in Europe but also Russia, Australia and China are represented. The cooperation in Asia means that AU-IBT has a foothold in China, which is one of the most important markets in the global competition.
An increasing number of Danish companies outsource their production to China and it is therefore important – both in a regional and national perspective – to establish relations with Chinese educational institutions. In this way, it is also easier for the business community to gain knowledge about China and to establish relations with Chinese companies.
