Institutional Mergers in Ireland

The importance of knowledge as a driver of social and economic growth and prosperity, and the increasingly competitive “global race for knowledge and talent” (Hazelkorn, Higher Educ Manage Policy 21(1):55–76, 2009) have combined to transform the higher education landscape, forcing national governments and higher education institutions (HEIs) to pursue new ways of addressing the challenges of a multi-polar world order. Rising demand for higher education (HE), as part of the broader shift from elite to mass to universal participation, has led to the emergence of new models of provision. At the same time, many governments face restrictions on public resources due to high levels of public and private debt; accordingly, system-level and institutional restructuring has been contemplated as a way to enhance quality, performance and efficiency

Education and inequality in Finland, Spain and Brazil

Production of INCASI Project H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015 GA 691004Finland, Spain and Brazil are three very internally complex and heterogeneous realities, with contradictions and permanent reforms to their education systems. In a first quantitative approach each country can be placed in a continuum of the education system that goes from most successful in terms of reaching a high level of education all across the population, in conditions of equity and facilitating youths' incorporation into the labour market, to least successful, with Finland and Brazil occupying either end of the spectrum respectively and Spain occupying an intermediate situation. Although there are differences, they share certain tensions in their respective education systems. On the one hand, about the conception of education, ranging from more utilitarian, human capital theories, to the more humanist and civic-minded perspective. On the other hand, the challenge of comprehensiveness between an academic and a vocational path. In addition, there is also the challenge of improving the education level of the population while also improving equality. The tensions differ from country to country, since their education traditions and cooperation and conflict strategies between the education agents, with varying levels of resources and different alliances with political actors vary, as does the social consensus

Impact of Urban vegetation on outdoor thermal comfort: Comparison between a Mediterranean city (Lecce, Italy) and a northern European city (Lahti, Finland)

This paper is devoted to the application of the modelling approach, as one of the methods for the evaluation of thermal comfort, to neighborhoods located in two cities characterized by a different climate, i.e., a Mediterranean city in southern Italy (Lecce) and a northern European city in southern Finland (Lahti). The impact of the presence of vegetation in both places is evaluated and compared, further considering alternative scenarios for thermal comfort improvement. The thermal comfort condition is expressed in terms of indices (mean radiant temperature (MRT) and predicted mean vote (PMV). Results show that at pedestrian level the presence of vegetation lead to an improvement of thermal comfort in summer of about 2 points in both neighborhoods. This improvement is also evident observing the spatial distribution of MRT with a difference of 7 °C in the Lecce neighborhood and 3 °C in Lahti. In winter, thermal discomfort is observed in the presence of vegetation with a difference of 1.3 °C in the Lecce neighborhood and 1.5 °C in Lahti in terms of MRT. However, trees and green cover have the important potential to offset climate change impact and to make urban environments less thermally stressful. This study aims to guide urban planners towards a motivated and necessary transaction towards new green infrastructure whose effect should, however, be analyzed and investigated case by case

New resource-wise planning strategies for smart urban-rural development in Finland

Abstract This article discusses the opportunities and challenges for resource-wise development strategies in regional planning. Spatial planning integrates the key aspects, transportation, housing, and food production which are, on many occasions, stated as the most significant consumption factors causing environmental impacts. In light of the challenges that regions are currently facing in Finland, we are drawing attention to the role of strategic spatial planning as demand-responsive resource management, a theme which is still inadequately addressed within regional development and planning in Finland. In many other fields of society, innovative data-based products and demand- and user-driven services are considered important sources of success in the future. Such strategies combine different types of service providers, like deliveries for groceries or restaurant meals, mobile healthcare services, or public transport with on-demand services. We highlight the fact that a regionally large and sparsely populated country, such as Finland, cannot achieve success solely through centralisation. Instead, smart networking, co-creation, and innovative cyber-physical solutions are vital for the utilisation of the entire country’s resource potentiality. In conclusion, we underpin the need for a framework, which would offer a strategic support scheme for resource-wise development, resource optimization, and closure of yield gaps. In our view it is necessary to begin to envision, strategise, and develop user- and demand-responsive development strategies with a specific aim for sustainable, resource-wise ways of life in northern regions, also outside the growing urban centres, and innovate solutions that help individuals, communities, and the whole society to renew and manage resources wisely

Multidisciplinary Approaches for Programming Ecosystem Services of Urban Green Spaces

Widening the capacity of urban green spaces to provide ecosystem services needs multi-disciplinary approaches and has to bring together academic, professional and political spheres.  In this study qualitative research fields were found: • Interdisciplinary contribution to introduce further improvement of currently monofunctional ecosystem services with awareness of contradictions among ecological, economical and socio-cultural requirements. Most of them can be reduced or minimized in ongoing design process allocating spatial and/or functional concepts. • Increasing awareness of stakeholders of the importance of high quality and variety of green urban open spaces as a factor of citizen satisfaction. • Need to improve and intensify the collaboration between public administration, service providers and private stakeholders. • Stressing high significance of trees regarding climatic services as well as their contribution to quality of life in residential areas while considerable need for improving the ecological conditions of their growth, protection of existing ones against damage from building activities and vehicle impact as well as enhancing of resilience of urban forest towards climatic stress. • The existence of operational measures to manage and support the use of garden plots where strategic concepts to popularize and augment the quality of various forms of urban gardening and horticulture by offering space, information and technical support to potential users are missing. Advantages of multidisciplinary approaches are a better exchange of knowledge and ideas in a wider context, bringing up topics and recommendations for further developments. In addition, analytical findings, bridging visions, conceptual and management suggestions can include unconventional and long-term oriented ideas thus stimulating a more sustainable self-guided development process. The study was followed in the city of Magdeburg (Germany) in three different historical housing estates currently undergoing process of revitalization and adjacent green open spaces

Sustainable urban growth and climate change – challenges to the future education

A new project called Reform of Education in Sustainability and Climate in Urban Environments (RESCUE) has started in October 2012 in collaboration with Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU, UK), University of Salento (UdS, IT) and Lahti University of Applied Sciences (LUAS, FI) as the coordinator. The rationale of the project was the need for advanced education for a new professional concerning urban issues and climate mitigation and adaptation. Our research reveals no similar programme exists at present in Europe [1]. The strengths of our partners are built up on the different professional viewpoints to the education: climate change research (UdS), urban sustainability and management (GCU) and communicative planning (LUAS). Rapid urbanization and urban sprawl are causing different scale challenges to climate adaptation and urban quality of life while understanding of these issues demands a new kind of professional education compared with earlier programmes. The project aims to provide a new model of Master education based on a needs assessment and involving of several stakeholders in partner countries as well as six associate partner universities. It will also create and run a pilot programme of continuous professional education (CPD) and learn lessons from it to shape and mould the eventual Master’s programme. The presentation will enumerate the results of a Needs Assessment seminar and several dissemination event to be held in Spring 2013. It is hoped the action will lead to a joint MSc degree, aiming at creating a new breed of professionals in the highly interdisciplinary field of urban sustainability and climate change. The proposed joint platform will use the latest communication and media technologies to enhance the up-to-date nature of the content and wider cross-border participation of staff and students, leading to a cutting edge, mobile study programme” [3]. The HEIs are integrating and developing their existing Master modules to combine a new set of interdisciplinary course with a strong virtual nature. The validation of the final programme will guaranteed by the Scottish Credit and Quolifications Framework (SCQF) aligned to the Bologna Process

Multidisciplinary approaches for programming ecosystem services of urban green spaces

Widening the capacity of urban green spaces to provide ecosystem services needs multi-disciplinary approaches and has to bring together academic, professional and political spheres. In this study qualitative research topics were identified: (1) interdisciplinary contribution to introduce further improvement of currently monofunctional ecosystem services with awareness of contradictions among ecological, economical and socio-cultural requirements. Most of them can be reduced or minimized in ongoing design process allocating spatial and/or functional concepts; (2) increasing awareness of stakeholders of the importance of high quality and variety of green urban open spaces as a factor of citizen satisfaction; (3) need to improve and intensify the collaboration between public administration, service providers and private stakeholders; (4) stressing high significance of trees regarding climatic services as well as their contribution to quality of life in residential areas while considerable need for improving the ecological conditions of their growth, protection of existing ones against damage from building activities and vehicle impact as well as enhancing of resilience of urban forest towards climatic stress; (5) the existence of operational measures to manage and support the use of garden plots where strategic concepts to popularize and augment the quality of various forms of urban gardening and horticulture by offering space, information and technical support to potential users are missing. Advantages of multidisciplinary approaches are a better exchange of knowledge and ideas in a wider context, bringing up topics and recommendations for further developments. In addition, analytical findings, bridging visions, conceptual and management suggestions can include unconventional and long-term oriented ideas, thus stimulating a more sustainable self-guided development process. The study was conducted in the city of Magdeburg (Germany) in three different historical housing estates currently undergoing a process of revitalization and adjacent green open spaces. \ua9 ISHS

Strategy as Dialogue and Engagement

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