Nora Maria Halmai (p), Márta Konczos Szombathelyi, Mónika Rajcsányi-Molnár

Jorge Saraiva

The study aims to reveal the methodology for evaluating the third mission of higher education institutions concerning the regional economic impact of universities with an ecosystem focus. The relevance of this research is justified by the increasing emphasis on third mission activities within Hungarian higher education, as evidenced by their growing presence in both state funding allocations and institutional accreditation criteria.
Although several studies have evaluated individual dimensions of the third mission independently, there is little agreement on a set of indicators to assess quality in universities' third mission activities. The third mission and social engagement and responsibility are key factors for the sustainable future of higher education.
The third mission of universities has become increasingly important. Although traditional teaching and research missions are well-monitored, evaluating third mission activities presents challenges, leading to the development of various models, including patent-focused and collaborative ecosystem approaches. The inclusion of knowledge transfer indicators in efficiency analyses reveals that their impact varies among universities, influenced by factors such as subject mix, mission focus, and the types of third mission activities. Quantifying the economic impact of third mission activities presents several challenges, including defining impact, avoiding double-counting, estimating multiplier effects, and measuring diverse activities. Despite these difficulties, developing comprehensive evaluation frameworks for third mission activities is crucial for assessing universities' overall performance and societal contributions.
Utilizing the Intellectual Capital framework, this study focuses on measuring and evaluating the third mission activities of a Hungarian university. The evaluation covers the integration of third mission goals within the strategic documents of the examined university, as well as the effectiveness of the implementation of these established goals.
The document analysis is aimed at examining the strategic system formulated for the third mission at a Hungarian university and the associated indicators. The hypothesis is that, based on the selected framework, the applied indicator system and the defined indicators are suitable for assessing third mission activities. In this way, the indicator system can serve as model of good practice.
Future research could focus on examining the indicator system based on other models and frameworks.

Jorge Saraiva (p), Sofia B.S.D. Castro, João Correia-da-Silva

Daniela-Andreia Damian

We study how the spatial distribution and political framework of an economy affect the agents' education decisions. Using a core-periphery model where skilled workers can invest in education to increase their individual productivity, we find that agglomeration reduces investment in education if transportation costs are sufficiently high. This effect dissipates as transportation costs decrease if proportional income effects are present. Comparing education choices in three types of societies -- a centrally planned economy, a unionised economy, and a decentralised economy --, we find that the highest level of investment in education occurs in centrally planned economies and the lowest in unionised economies. Education yields a positive externality across the economy due to price decreases. However, we also find that education yields a negative externality for skilled workers due to the more competitive labour market. Finally, we conclude that individual and average education levels are strategic substitutes.

Daniela-Andreia Damian (p), Bogdan-Constantin Ibănescu , Mihai Bulai, Corneliu Iațu

Maki Ikegami

In recent decades, the study of human capital has evolved significantly, becoming a central pillar in areas such as labor economics, economics of education, human resource management, economic development and sustainability (Blair, 2011).
Beyond empirical evidence, human capital plays a crucial role in decision-making. In Romania, the post-communist period has marked a significant transition from a centralized to a more decentralized society. This change was not only about the orientation towards a knowledge economy, but also a paradigm shift, where the individual is no longer perceived strictly as a factor of production, but as a strategic resource for development. However, the decision-making process in Romania continues to be fragmented, lacking a unitary and coherent vision of the priorities and real needs of the territory.
Given that, the aim of this paper is to analyze how the concept of human capital and related terms are being perceived in the strategic documents adopted in Romania in the fields of education, public administration, social and environment. A number of 15 strategies adopted in Romania in the fields of education, public administration, social and environment, divided into two distinct periods: pre-2020 and post-2020 will be analyzed. This temporal division is based on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), reflecting both the economic and political context of the previous years and the adaptations imposed by recent events, in particular the global pandemic.
The methodology applied for this research combines quantitative and qualitative approaches, through MAXQDA software, which facilitates a detailed analysis of textual data from policy documents in this case. In particular, the MAX Dictio module will be used to perform a frequency (occurence) analysis, with a special focus on the term human capital and its related concepts. Furthermore, a coding system will be applied to identify and classify the occurrences of these terms within the 15 strategies, thus aiming to establish the links and interferences between human capital and other relevant concepts in its domain and beyond.
The preliminary results of the analysis of the 15 strategies indicate significant differences between the two periods, both in terms of the frequency of the term human capital and in the context in which it is used.
In this regard, the study intends to provide a basis for understanding how human capital is perceived in national policies and how national policies can be adjusted to support balanced and sustainable development of all regions.

Maki Ikegami (p)

Miroslav Šipikal

The role of higher education institutions in fostering a sustainable society has become widely acknowledged. Efforts to enhance environmental efficiency in campus operations emerged in the 1990s, primarily in North American universities, followed by European institutions. Today, campus sustainability initiatives are recognized not only as measures for improved environmental management but also as comprehensive and systematic efforts integrating research, education, and regional engagement to drive innovation toward sustainability.

In Japan, the earliest attempts at campus sustainability were centered on establishing environmental management systems within universities. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) was another key initiative, promoted by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) under the United Nations’ Decade of ESD campaign. However, following the cessation of MEXT funding, ESD initiatives in Japan declined, failing to embed the concept of campus sustainability fully within institutional frameworks.

At present, campus sustainability initiatives in Japan are primarily focused on physical campus management, lacking the holistic approach adopted by higher education institutions in North America and Europe. In response to this gap, this study examines Japanese case studies to advance comprehensive campus sustainability in the country.

This study aims to identify appropriate organizational structures and decision-making processes that can facilitate the implementation of holistic campus sustainability in Japanese higher education institutions.

In 2013, a leading Japanese university developed the first assessment framework for sustainable campuses, known as the Assessment System for Sustainable Campuses (ASSC), designed specifically for Japanese higher education institutions. The ASSC consists of 170 assessment criteria across four dimensions: Management, Education and Research, Environment, and Local Community.

For this study, semi-structured interviews are being conducted with key informants from four leading universities selected from the 16 most active ASSC respondent institutions over the past five years. The collected data will undergo thematic analysis following a systematic coding process. This presentation will provide interim findings from this ongoing research.

Preliminary analysis of the pioneering initiatives undertaken by these universities has revealed several common factors. A top-down decision-making approach is a predominant feature, while the integration of an assessment system within campus management also plays a crucial role. Once the study is completed, its findings will provide university leaders in Japan with a strategic framework for initiating campus sustainability efforts, thereby fostering a holistic approach that encompasses regional development and contributes to the broader goal of a sustainable society.

Miroslav Šipikal (p)

Nora Maria Halmai

In the countries of Central and Eastern Europe that have become members of the European Union, support from the European Structural and Investment Funds constitutes a significant part of public resources intended for development, especially in less developed regions. This applies to the resources available to universities in these regions. These universities are usually not among the leaders in the field of research and are rather expected to have an impact on the development of the region itself. The aim of this article is to show how these support resources affect the results of universities in these regions, namely in the area of their patent activity. We have compiled a database of university patents in the CEE countries after accession to the EU, while we have also identified the patents that were the subject of support. Subsequently, we have conducted several interviews with the creators of these patents focused on the role of support in their creation and application. After accession to the EU, we can see a very high increase in the patent activity of universities in less developed CEE regions, which reaches significantly higher values than in the case of less developed regions of Western Europe, with support from EU sources playing a key role. At the same time, however, we see that this research is rather "grant driven" and has only a practically negligible impact on the development of the regions in which these universities operate. Much of the reason for this is the wrong setting of the support policy, which does not emphasize the use and application of the supported research.