Abstract
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are supposed to play an indispensable role in the socioeconomic development of the regions they are located in. Examples of successful regions, such as Silicon Valley, have induced various imitations. While in some cases imitation has met with success, in others it has led to unexplainable paradoxes and tensions. In this chapter, we analyze the graduate paradox that occurred in the Vysocina Region of the Czech Republic following the establishment of a new public HEI, the College of Polytechnics Jihlava (CPJ). We identify relevant stakeholders and analyze their role in determining CPJ’s focus and programs on one hand, and in formulating regional needs on the other. In so doing, we discovered three specific ambiguities that hamper CPJ’s regional impact: the ambiguity of intention, where national policy does not sufficiently support the regional mission of the university; the ambiguity of history, where regional authorities played the largest role at the time of the CPJ’s establishment but did not collaborate much with the college afterward; and the ambiguity of structure, which is represented by a shortage of official authority.
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Notes
- 1.
For more information, see http://www.perifproject.eu
- 2.
All the output of the PERIF research project is available at http://www.perifproject.eu/
- 3.
All together 14 regions were created, including Prague as a special administrative unit.
- 4.
There were and are only several small branches of HEIs from outside the region located here.
- 5.
As a result of the enactment of the Act on Higher Education in 1998. Whereas in 1999, 23 public HEIs existed, in 2005 there were 25 public HEIs and 36 private ones and in 2009, 26 public and 45 private HEIs (Körner, 2010).
- 6.
Vyšší odborná škola in Czech. This is a specific type of educational institution, which in the Czech tertiary system is a de facto vocational college but not a de jure tertiary institution . Such schools are also not as prestigious as HEIs , that is, universities. They do not grant traditional degrees, such as bachelor’s or master’s degrees, but the “diploma specialist degree” (DiS.).
- 7.
From the Ancient Greek polytechné, which means “many arts.”
- 8.
For different reasons the German-speaking population, which was located mainly in Jihlava, also disappeared.
- 9.
Potatoes are the traditional agricultural product here. The region’s harsh climate is suitable for their cultivation. Historically, more profitable crops could not be grown here.
- 10.
For example, BOSCH Diesel’s regional research and development (R & D) center is based in the South Bohemian Region, which neighbors the Vysocina Region to the west.
- 11.
Subregions are smaller units within regions that are centered in a bigger town.
- 12.
CPJ currently provides an education to approximately one-tenth of all students at HEIs who have residency in Vysocina Region. From this perspective, its capacities are still quite small.
- 13.
The first expected graduates of the master’s program will receive their degrees in the 2017/2018 academic year.
- 14.
CPJ as an HEI without faculties is not included in this statistic.
- 15.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs publishes graduate employment data.
- 16.
CPJ and the Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice.
- 17.
The alumni club’s activities focus on workshops for graduates on topics connected with job seeking and supporting work habits; it also facilitates job offers.
- 18.
Regional universities could not effectively exist without the inflow of highly qualified academic staff, such as associate professors and full professors, because regulatory conditions do not allow such institutes to grant high-ranking academic titles themselves. On the other hand, the presence of such academics is required to guarantee a study program’s accreditation. If a qualified staff member leaves, the HEI may lose its accreditation if it cannot quickly find a replacement. Similar problems occur when an HEI wants to open up new educational programs that address regional conditions.
- 19.
The University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague spends the most on research in relative figures; more than one-third of its budget goes to research. At Charles University, Czech Technical University, and Palacký University Olomouc (UPOL) one-fourth of expenditures are on research activities. However, less than 1% of CPJ’s budget is allocated for research. (These figures are based on our own calculations made using data drawn from these HEI’s annual reports).
- 20.
Nevertheless, criteria for distinguishing between academic and professional study programs have not yet been developed. The newly established National Accreditation Office will have to carry out this crucial task.
- 21.
The Regional Innovation Strategy is the first document of its type in the Vysocina Region; the central government demanded it be created in order for the region to draw European funds.
- 22.
CPJ is one of only two public non-university HEIs in the Czech Republic. The second one is the Institute of Technology and Business in České Budejovice.
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Šmídová, M., Čábelková, I. (2018). Graduate Paradox at Jihlava: The Perspective of Stakeholders. In: Pinheiro, R., Young, M., Šima, K. (eds) Higher Education and Regional Development. Palgrave Studies in Global Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78643-8_4
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