Best Practices for Transferring Knowledge to Working Life

by | May 3, 2024 | Books in English, Opetus ja oppiminen | 0 comments

Featuring picture.

Authors:

Alatalo, Malla, MA, Specialist, Project Manager, Northern Well-being and Services, Lapland University of Applied Sciences

Van den Bosch, Britlise, MSc International Development

Laitinen-Tolonen, Aulikki, M.Soc.Sc., Senior Lecturer, Northern Well-being and Services, Lapland University of Applied Sciences

Contributions by:

Prof. Mitja Gorenak, Ph.D., University of Maribor

Assist. Prof. Gregor Jagodič, Ph.D., University of Maribor

Assist. prof. Tomi Špindler, Ph.D., University of Maribor

Daniela Pereira, Master of Tourism, Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies

Catarina Andrade, Master of Hotel Management, ESHTE, Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies

Rodrigo Paulino, Master of Tourism and Communication, Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies 

Carla Patrício, Around Portugal DMC

Pegah Sedgh, Ph.D. candidate, University of Stavanger

Idun Sand, MSc

Truls Engström, Associate professor, Ph.D., University of Stavanger

Type: Monograph
Publisher: Lapin ammattikorkeakoulu Oy / Lapland University of Applied Sciences Ltd
Year of publication: 2024
Serie: Pohjoisen tekijät / The Northern Factors – Publications of Lapland University of Applied Sciences 5/2024
ISBN: 978-952-316-516-8
ISSN: 2954-1654 (on-line publication)
PDF file: https://www.lapinamk.fi/loader.aspx?id=a4d372df-d232-4ade-b72f-6f7e289b0193
Rights: CC BY 4.0
Language: English

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Summary

This publication “Best Practices for Transferring Knowledge to Working Life” is a study on good practices for applying and implementing tourism students’ research findings in working life. The work provides the higher education community and the tourism industry with ideas for cooperation.

This publication is an output of the From Research to Working Life project. The authors of Lapland University of Applied Sciences have been leading the process. The partner organisations have contributed by presenting four best practice case examples each, on how students’ knowledge and research results have been transferred to working life in the tourism sector. Although this work was produced for the tourism sector, the results and recommendations can be applied to other sectors as well.

From Research to Working Life: Students as Knowledge Brokers for Entrepreneurial Development (ReWo) is an Erasmus+ funded project which aims to create permanent methods and practices for developing education and research structures, within educational institutions and in collaboration with international working life. The partners on this project are the University of Maribor, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, the University of Stavanger, and the Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies.

Table of contents

Abbreviations

1. Preface

2. Cooperation between business and higher education – who benefits?

3. Case examples: Best practices for transferring research to working life
3.1. Slovenia
3.2 Finland
3.3 Portugal
3.4 Norway

4. Complementary views on the subject from a survey
4.1 Demographics of the survey
4.2 Preferred channels for sharing information: observations from the survey
4.3 Current situation and future needs regarding cooperation: Infographics based on survey results

5. Reflections
5.1 Advancing co-creation of curricula
5.2. Practical needs and novelty as a basis for development and cooperation
5.3. Multi-channel ways to share information are needed

References

Abbreviations

DMC                       Destination Management Company

ESHTE                   Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies

HACCP                  Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points

HE                          Higher Education

HEI                         Higher Education Institution

ReWo                     From Research to Working Life

RDI                         Research, Development and Innovation

ROI                         Return on Investment

UAS                        University of Applied Sciences

UBC                        University-Business Cooperation

1. Preface

All tourism students in higher education institutions produce various kinds of development ideas and conduct research that could help tourism companies get information about the latest studies in the field and help them improve their business. During their studies students immerse themselves in cutting-edge tourism research, analyzing the latest trends and future prospects. When entering working life new graduates can bring much-needed new insight to organisations. However, it is noteworthy that cooperation with working life can – and should – be part of higher education.

From Research to Working Life: Students as Knowledge Brokers for Entrepreneurial Development (ReWo) is an Erasmus+ funded project which aims to create permanent methods and practices for developing education and research structures, within educational institutions and in collaboration with international working life.

The project focuses on developing joint education and research structures in the participating educational institutions. Better collaboration between HE and the industry is the primary goal, and not just in the tourism industry: the project also seeks to develop approaches that can be applicable to other fields. Better collaboration between all the participants in this process (HEIs, the students, and the tourism sector) will be beneficial to all: it will bring useful changes to the HE curricula, to make them more suited to the needs of the industry, it will improve students’ employability and empower them to use their knowledge and ideas for the improvement of their workplace, and it will inform the industry representatives about the benefits of putting new knowledge and ideas into practice.

The partners on this project are the University of Maribor, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, the University of Stavanger, and the Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies.

One of the outputs of the ReWo project is this study on good practices for applying and implementing tourism students’ research findings in working life. In addition, a key project goal is to discover development ideas around questions such as: How can students’ research results or other development ideas be used more effectively? And how can this be considered as part of tourism studies?

This report presents the results of the study. It consists primarily of case examples collected from ReWo project partner institutions, specifically four cases from each. In addition, a questionnaire was developed and shared in order to gain an understanding of current methods of cooperation and knowledge transfer between HEIs, students, and the industry as well as desires for cooperation in the future and needs for curricula improvement.

The results were compiled into this report titled Best Practices for Transferring Knowledge to Working Life which includes an introduction to the topic and the project, results and insights from the questionnaires, and case examples with “main takeaways”, meaning the practical learning the reader of the report can takeaway. At the end of the report there are reflections, recommendations and development ideas.

Anyone reading this report can benefit from the best practice case examples and development ideas. For the tourism industry the report offers new ideas for even tighter collaboration with the tourism departments of higher education institutions. For students, as well as for teaching staff, researchers and RDI personnel, the report will hopefully offer inspiration to try new practices. In addition, this publication may encourage HEIs to critically examine their curricula and ask how they currently supports students’ links to working life and how these links could be further promoted through the curricula.

This report is neither a comprehensive collection of all the possible means of research-industry collaboration nor a guide on how to implement them. Instead, the core objective of this report is to share best practices from ReWo project partner institutions in order to enhance HEI–working life cooperation for the benefit of students.

Through this compact collection of inspiring case examples and reflections, the report aims to serve as a springboard for further discussion around the topic. Ideally, it will also encourage readers to share more good examples of how students’ expertise has been of use in the working life of tourism.

2. Cooperation between business and higher education – who benefits?

Gaining new knowledge and finding qualified employees from among graduates – especially the latter – is an important reason for businesses to cooperate with HEIs (Davey, Meerman, Galán-Muros, Orazbayeva & Baaken 2018, 20). The benefits to tourism enterprises of research and cooperation with HEIs include fostering innovation, understanding the market, learning about sustainable business practices, creating networks and strategic partnerships, and gaining data-driven insights to support decision making.

According to Simon Hudson, academic research centres can be of great benefit to tourist destinations. He observes that effectively implemented knowledge transfer between research centres and tourism practitioners is essential to gain competitive advantage. (Hudson 2013, 131). Also, Chris Cooper states in his article, Managing Tourism Knowledge, that he sees knowledge transfer and exchange as a competitive tool for the tourism sector (Cooper 2015, 107). However, the challenge in the tourism field is the reluctance to use the latest research results. Lisa Ruhanen and Chris Cooper in their article, “Applying a Knowledge Management Framework to Tourism Research”, consider that the tourism sector could be seen as research averse (Ruhanen & Cooper 2004, 84). To tackle this problem, it is important to identify the underlying causes at the local level and come up with targeted solutions.

For students, in turn, there are several good reasons to consider establishing connections to working life through their studies. How can students benefit from transferring their research results and findings to industry? First, practical application of research results is what validates the research itself, as well as the student’s professional competence and research skills. Cooperation with industry during studies enhances networking opportunities and future career possibilities. Moreover, through industry utilisation of their research, students get valuable feedback from the field which will enable better understanding of the practical implications and limitations of their work.

There are many reasons why cooperation between HEIs and businesses can be rewarding and motivating for all parties, not only for students and businesses as mentioned above, but also for the HEIs. In particular, Universities of Applied Sciences in Finland have close ties to working life and the theoretical elements of the education they deliver are linked to practical needs. This pragmatic approach is based on the idea that knowledge and theory only become meaningful when they are applied in practice. The relevance of degrees to working life is considered important in UAS. The integration of working life and education is therefore one of the pedagogical solutions to promoting a knowledge-based approach to degrees. (Mäki 2019, 83-84).

Universities of Applied Sciences in Finland also have a statutory social mission to promote regional impact. This in turn requires active interaction between working life and higher education, with roles for RDI and teaching staff as well as students. (Kangastie 2014, 20–21). Moreover, from the perspective of regional development HEIs are sources of talent and entrepreneurship potential. Also, for existing businesses the future-oriented innovations and talent developed in HEIs can create a competitive advantage for the region. (Davey et al. 2018, 5).

Deeper cooperation between HEIs and the industry is also common objective at European level, according to the report The State of University-Business Cooperation (UBC) in Europe.In terms of education the report underlines how UBC can be useful in aligning curricula and the competence of graduates with the needs of industry. In addition, it can smoothen the career pathways of the graduates entering working life (Davey et al. 2018, 14). This is currently extremely important as after the COVID-19 pandemic the tourism industry is lacking skilled workers. In addition, the attractiveness of tourism education has declined in recent years (Passoja 2022). Maybe well-established and productive working life cooperation could be an attraction and enhance the image of tourism education.

According to Davey et al. (2018) there are many identified forms of university-business cooperation: education, research, valorisation and management. The most developed cooperation activities are education and research. Cooperation in education includes activities such as curriculum co-design and co-delivery (e.g., guest lectures), education programmes that are partly academic and partly practical, student internships, etc. (Davey et al. 2018, 40). Whilst all kinds of UBC cooperation are valuable, in this report the focus is only on UBC in education.

3. Case examples: Best practices for transferring research to working life

In this section, cases from ReWo project partner HEIs from Slovenia, Finland, Portugal, and Norway are presented. These cases are good examples of beneficial cooperation between students, HEIs, and working life. They are practical hands-on examples and something can be learned from each case. Thus, a few “main takeaways” are summarised, derived from each case.

3.1. Slovenia

3.1.1 Marketing based on generational characteristics

Contributor: Mitja Gorenak

Direct marketing based on generational characteristics is a strategy that involves tailoring marketing messages and tactics to appeal to different generations of consumers. Each generation has unique values, preferences, and behaviours, so understanding these characteristics can help marketers effectively engage with their target audience. In his master’s thesis, a student from the University of Maribor analysed customers’ behaviours and their purchasing decisions related to travel packages in tourist agencies. 

As a first step, the student obtained a 2019 European Tours travel brochure from a selected travel agency, and coded all the tours offered by the travel agency according to specific characteristics. The second step involded the student obtaining one year’s worth of data from the travel agency indicating what kinds of tours were purchased as well as information on the gender and date of birth of the customer travelling. Analysing this extensive database, the student drew conclusions and made generalisations about the characteristics of different generations and their customer behaviour as a travellers. The travel agency started using this knowledge in the 2021 season.

Main takeaways:

  • Students can choose research topics which involve applying their newly gained knowledge to existing challenges in the tourism business, such as delivering direct marketing to different generations.
  • Tourism businesses can benefit from letting students analyse existing material in order to receive feedback.

3.1.2 Study project to enliven Račji Dvor Manor

Contributor: Gregor Jagodič

A group of students from the University of Maribor received a research project assignment, which involved creating a proposal for the revival and promotion of a cultural monument from the 17th century, Račji Dvor Manor. The aim of the project was to connect stakeholders from the broader social environment, especially, local institutions that offer and implement cultural events and tourist activities. Thus, a proposal was made to revitalise Račji Dvor Manor as a tourist destination, including suggestions for activities, events, content, possible sources of funds and recommendations for promotional activities for the destination. 

The students, a pedagogical mentor and a work mentor from the company participated in the development of the project proposal. They created a written document about the implementation of the project, which was based on primary research. This document describes the current situation at the destination and compares it to similar destinations. Additionally, a potential logo, promotional flyer and video presentation were created. These outcomes were presented publicly, and the feedback was used to further improve the final proposal. Once construction and other issues are resolved at the Manor, the students have been invited to implement the project proposal in order to revive the destination.

The results of the project highlight the importance of cooperation between the between HE and the industry. Moreover, it is important evidence that projects such as this offer students the possibility to gain practical knowledge and potential employment opportunities, while companies gain theoretical knowledge which can in turn help solve issues encountered in the business world.

Main takeaways:

  • Make sure to distinguish the objectives of each party included.
  • Commission research projects for students which involve creating proposals that can contribute to the revival of a destination.
  • Give students the opportunity to interact and work together with the industry in order for knowledge to be exchanged.
  • Ask for creative output from students.
  • Encourage feedback sessions such as presentations during which discussion between students and professionals can be facilitated.

3.1.3 One Car Less in the Family/Company

Contributor: Gregor Jagodič

Since Slovenian society is increasingly dependent on cars and for many people it is difficult to imagine life without one or more cars, the faculty of the University of Maribor, together with students and a bike company, embarked on a project to promote sustainable forms of mobility. The project title was One Car Less in the Family/Company, and the project goal was to try to raise awareness among individuals and companies of the benefits exchanging cars for more sustainable forms of mobility. It focused primarily on classic and electric bicycles. Based on the research conducted, suggestions were made on how to promote more sustainable forms of mobility. Furthermore, the project looked into the advantages for society, how costs can be reduced for individuals and companies, and how contributions to health can be made.

Due to the relevance of the topic, the problem description and goals were quickly formulated, and presented by the owner of the company to the students. Following this, the students tackled the content of the project. The current situation was analysed and compared to that in other countries. Furthermore, primary research was conducted on the individually defined target groups. From this content a proposal was created to encourage the use of bicycles and e-bikes, through promotional activities and announcements on social media and other platforms. Moreover, a video presentation was created to support the promotional activities as well as a public presentation on the outcomes of the project.

Upon completion of the project the bike company started implementing the proposed activities together with the students. For example, videos on the results of the project were published and the results were further promoted at fairs and shopping centres in order to convince individuals to use bicycles and e-bikes. The cooperation between the students and the company illustrates that students are able to offer valuable solutions to a companies’ problems, and that doing so represents a learning opportunity for them. Increasing the company´s sales, but also raising awareness on relevant sustainability issues.

Main takeaways:

  • Identify and tackle topical societal issues through student – working life cooperation.
  • Create research activities on company issues for students, fostering longer-term cooperation between them.
  • Get students involved in social media and allow them to create relevant social media material.

3.1.4 Wildlife observation tourism in Slovenia’s Notranjska region

Contributor: Tomi Špindler

Slovenia’s Notransjka region offers wildlife tourism, namely bear-watching experiences. This was researched by a student for their thesis, which investigated what methods of interpretation are used in these experiences and which of these methods is the most effective. The methods of interpretation support the educational takeaways from experiences such as these. The aim of this research was to find out which interpretation method is most effective in teaching visitors participating in bear-watching experiences respect for nature and general knowledge. The research involved interviews with intermediaries and providers and participant observation.

The research resulted in knowledge on the most common interpretation methods in the Notranjska region and how frequently these methods are employed as well as what forms of interpretation are most effective. This knowledge can now be used by both intermediaries and providers, to add more educational value to bear-watching experiences. This research thesis received an award for best student work in the field of wildlife and hunting from the Expert-Scientific Council of the Hunting Association of Slovenia.

Main takeaways:

  • Use research done by students, such as theses, to change or enhance experiences and products offered to make these more sustainable or successful.

3.2 Finland

3.2.1 Sustainability self-assessment tool for tourism enterprises

RDI activities in universities can serve as a platform for demand-based real-life collaboration with the tourism field. This was the case when a student from Lapland University of Applied Sciences conducted a desktop study on sustainability communication as part of his internship. The student completed his internship with a project called Growth and Value through Sustainability Communication – VALUE. The student had existing expertise on the subject as he had already written his bachelors’ thesis on sustainability communication. On the VALUE project, he was an equal team member along with the project staff and the collaborating companies. In this way, he gained a complete understanding of the project objectives and could align his study accordingly.

The research conducted by the student was the basis for the development of a self-assessment tool for digital sustainability communication. The tool was one of the outputs of the VALUE project and was developed in collaboration with Lapland UAS and tourism companies from Finnish Lapland.

The tool enables tourism companies to view, evaluate, measure and further develop sustainability communication related to their operations. The tool is free and open for companies to use. It is available in Finnish and in English.

Based on the choices students make when choosing their research topics and internships they can gain considerable expertise through their studies. In this case the student’s strong pre-existing expertise was an advantage in the development of the tool. Indirectly, the student’s research will benefit the tourism companies who use the self-assessment tool.

Main takeaways:

  • Support students’ development of special expertise by offering them chances to deepen their knowledge of the subjects that they have enthusiasm for.
  • Involve students in RDI activities and provide them with possibilities to cooperate with industry representatives directly.

3.2.2 Responsible food tourism development

Lapland University of Applied Sciences offers a study unit called Responsible Food Tourism. The study unit in question was implemented in the spring 2023 semester alongside a regional development project called Responsible Development of Food Tourism through Service Design along the Via Karelia.

During lessons students studied different elements of responsibility, after which they selected one company from the project target area and observed its sustainable practices related to food tourism. The students analysed how responsibility featured on the company website and social media and worked on development ideas based on their observations. Finally, they contacted the observed companies and gave them development ideas for better sustainability communication.

The study unit was beneficial for the companies who received the students’ analysis and development ideas about their sustainability practices. For the students, in turn, a study unit like this offered a motivating chance to analyse real life examples. For these Gen Z students the issues of sustainability is important which was one of the reasons the work around the topic was meaningful for them. They also gained tools and knowledge to observe sustainability. Moreover, making contact with the companies and sharing their work in the field may have been their first entrance into the field as future tourism professionals. The companies were delighted to receive the students’ reports and some of them even wanted to publish the students’ work on the company website. The students’ work also added value to the development project as one of its targets was to enhance companies’ know-how on responsibility issues.

This kind of transfer of students’ knowledge is possible in most higher education institutions as in addition to education most of them implement various kinds of development projects, at local, regional and international level, which involve a connection to actual tourism work through the participating or collaborating companies.

Main takeaways:

  • Communicate and cooperate with research and development staff, and link study units to development projects’ themes in order to foster mutual benefits.
  • Encourage students to contact tourism companies and share their results directly with them.

3.2.2 Improving intercultural competence

Two theses written by Lapland University of Applied Sciences students aimed to improve the intercultural competence of their commissioners. For the first thesis the student familiarised herself with the existing products of a tourism company and adapted them to serve Arabic customers with a focus on preventing uncomfortable situations, misunderstandings or intercultural conflicts. The tourism company who acted as commissioner for the thesis was very pleased with the study as it provided them with vital information and even potential competitive advantage. The other thesis was about intercultural communication and how to better serve customers from France by providing cross-cultural training for staff. In addition to their theses, the students also co-authored a publication on the subject with one of their teachers, marking another step towards professionalism and working life.

Both the authors of these commissioned theses came to Finland from another culture, yet had lived in the country long enough to feel at home. However, due to their backgrounds they both had the much-appreciated capability to see Finnish society, services and working culture from an international customer’s or worker’s point of view. (Häikiö et al. 2021.)

Main takeaways:

  • Ask for thesis commissions from tourism companies – in this way the research is demand-based, and the results will be more likely to be applicable to working life.
  • Industry-commissioned theses offer a valuable chance for students to build professional network in the tourism field.
  • Look on students’ personalities and backgrounds as assets!
  • Offer students opportunities to co-author publications with academic professionals.

3.2.4 Pop-Up Theses event

Lapland University of Applied Sciences regularly hosts a Pop-Up Theses virtual event which is held over Zoom complemented with a poster exhibition on virtual wall Padlet. It’s an event that presents all the newest bachelor theses from tourism education. The Pop-Up Theses event aims to act as a forum for students, staff and the industry to hear and discuss the research and development work done by tourism students. Lapland UAS organises the event three times a year, after the end of each thesis process in the faculty. Students present their theses at the event both orally and as a poster. After the event, all the posters are shared on a virtual Padlet wall.

According to the organisers, not many tourism industry representatives participate in the event as it is currently marketed mainly to students and educational staff. Occasionally thesis commissioners from the industry join.

Students have been pleased to present their theses at the event. The live implementation of the event in particular has received positive feedback as it has been more freeform and enabled more discussion.

Main takeaways:

  • Consider arranging a regularly recurring event that both promotes students’ research and development work and also benefits the industry by providing new information from the field.
  • Holding online events on Zoom together with a virtual poster exhibition enables industry members to see visualisations of research results even if they miss the event itself.
  • Think of other possible platforms for students, HEI staff and industry representatives to meet and find common ground for cooperation and knowledge-exchange.

3.3 Portugal

3.3.1 Cultural tourism in destination planning

Contributor: Daniela Pereira

A master’s student studying tourism at ESHTE, studied the role of cultural tourism itineraries in destination planning and management in the area of Lisbon. She designed four thematic itineraries off the beaten track. Her work was then delivered to the four mayors of the districts covered by the proposed walking tours so that they could implement her work.  

The student used the interview method: She interviewed the four district mayors to understand the resources and attractions of each district as well as five tour guides who had already created their own thematic itineraries in Lisbon in the hope of learning about the techniques they use to structure an itinerary.

Four new creative thematic itineraries for less touristy districts of Lisbon were planned and designed in detail. These itineraries covered less-explored subjects (fashion, gastronomy, industry, street art, etc.) that can be interpreted through different and uncommon stories, promoting the identity and culture of the tourism destination.

Main takeaways:

  • Let students engage with a destination, in order for them to deepen their knowledge whilst developing an area.
  • Ensure students’ work gets shared with officials or companies, in order to facilitate knowledge exchange.
  • Allowing students to take charge of industry research can facilitate knowledge sharing and communication between different stakeholders.

3.3.2 Calculating the economic return on investment

Contributor: Catarina Andrade

As her master’s project a hotel management student at ESHTE was able to calculate the economic return for a hotel on an investment. This investment involved a training course on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), in which all kitchen employees of the hotel participated. While training is often regarded as an expense, because the economic benefits are difficult to grasp, such training is actually an investment.

The student applied the Return on Investment (ROI) Model, which has five levels from Level 1 – Trainees’ Reaction to Level 5 – ROI Calculation. For this, she relied on questionnaires (ex-ante and ex-post) and analysed the results of the HACCP audits. The training costs were examined using data from the organisation. The benefits of the training programme were calculated based on the reduction in the probability of fines being applied by the Food Safety Authority due to cases of non-compliance. 

It was the first time the methodology was applied in the hotel, opening the door for application in other situations. By calculating the economic return on investment in training, hotel managers may be more willing to invest in the competence development of their employees, thus improving the efficiency and effectiveness of their businesses. 

Main takeaways:

  • Stimulate theoretical methodologies to be used in the work field.
  • Letting students calculate ROI, as a learning exercise can result in companies gaining knowledge on whether certain investments are worthwhile.

3.3.3 Improving the image of the Coach Museum

Contributor: Rodrigo Paulino

A master’s student studying tourism at at ESHTE did an internship at the National Coach Museum aiming at improving the “post-museum” philosophy of that institution. The student’s report should help the Coach Museum’s curator and other museum curators to change their point of view about the demand for and interest in their museums.

The main purpose of the report was to assess whether that institution met the “post-museum” criteria. The methodology used was based upon direct observation of the location by way of guided tours and through active participation in the museum’s day-to-day activities, namely its educational services.  

The student, together with the museum’s management department, developed a guide on best practices with a view to helping the institution to better insert itself in the post-museum context and become an increasingly modern and more open cultural and social centre. 

Main takeaways:

  • Reports students create for companies or organisations should be shared so the whole industry can gain knowledge on specific topics. Use reports that students have created for other companies to improve your own.
  • Work together with students to develop products, such as a guide on best practices created.

3.3.4 Alumni cooperation with HEIs

Contributor: Carla Patrício

A former student of the Tourism Information Course from ESHTE, believed in the excellent quality of tourism teaching at ESHTE. So, when she opened her own Destination Management Company (DMC), she not only applied what she had studied but also always gave an opportunity to the students of ESHTE to do their internship in her DMC. She realised she could learn many innovative techniques from recent students.

Over the last decade she has accepted one internship student at the end of each academic year. Consequently, each student has brought new perspectives, and shared new techniques during their internship. At the same time, the students have gained understanding of different perspectives, absorbed new experiences, and learned working techniques from an expert DMC, and the results have always been very positive. For the students who demonstrated significant skill development, she offered them steady positions at the DMC. They are now actively working in the tourism industry.

Former ESHTE students have the capacity to show what they have learned and have different approaches, new perspectives, and up-to-date skills, mainly related to technology and social media management systems. That has allowed them to develop new targets and to deal with new generations of customers, benefitting both the DMC and the tourism sector. 

Main takeaways:

  • Bear in mind that current students may become industry collaborators with HEIs in the future.
  • Offering students internship opportunities allows companies absorb their knowledge and gain new perspectives while offering them practical skills.
  • Students are very familiar with new technology and social media.

3.4 Norway

3.4.1 Mentor program: Bridging the gap between students and tourism and hospitality leaders

Contributor: Pegah Sedgh

Mentorship is a powerful tool in the world of education, and the hospitality and tourism sectors are no exception. Over the past ten years, master’s students in their first year and bachelor’s students in their second year have been able to apply for the mentorship programme, which starts every autumn at the Norwegian School of Hotel Management. The programme is designed as a structured platform, and students apply with a well-crafted motivation letter and CV, expressing their interest in personal and career development. The selection process involves both internal and external professionals, ensuring a diverse and enriching experience for the students. Those who are admitted are assigned their own mentor who, for a whole year, gives them advice and guidance on career-related topics that the students select themselves. Students have regular one-to-one meetings with a dedicated mentor from the industry, generally a leader in a hospitality or tourism business. In addition to these meetings with their mentor, participants attend four mandatory gatherings with other adepts. These gatherings are designed with the primary goal of helping students grow their theoretical knowledge into a practical understanding of hospitality and service sector leadership.

Mechanisms of the mentorship program:

  • One-on-one meetings
  • Shadowing sessions
  • Participation in corporate meetings
  • Real-world assignments

While students gain invaluable insights, mentors also find the programme rewarding. They recognise the essence of mutual learning, realising that fresh perspectives from students can sometimes challenge and enhance their own understanding. Moreover, mentors usually hold esteemed positions as leaders of hotels, theme parks or renowned restaurants, or are experts in service sector consultancy. This creates a nice gathering of which showcases different ideas, experiences and ambitions.

Main takeaways:

  • Personalized learning – students as the main responsible for setting meetings’ agendas, students get a tailor-made experience, ensuring their needs and curiosities are met.
  • Unparalleled networking – interacting with top leaders provides students an early entry into the professional world, creating the foundation for their future careers, as well as building their network among other classmates who enroll the program.
  • Mutual growth – both mentors and mentees benefit from the shared experiences, ensuring continuous learning and evolution for both.

3.4.2 Serviceforum: A student driven Conference, linking students with higher education institutes and the business world

Contributor: Pegah Sedgh

For 26 years, students from the Norwegian School of Hotel Management have taken the lead in organszing Serviceforum, one of the most significant events by university student organization. It is a space where students, teachers and industry leaders from the service sector meet, exchange ideas, and work together. The students function as “knowledge brokers” between industry and academia. This daytime conference is designed to inspire the business community and show them what students learn and can do. Each year, the event focuses on a new and unique theme, attracting students, alumni, faculty members and industry professionals alike.

A standout feature is the presence of business leaders from various service businesses, mainly in tourism and hospitality. Their involvement gives students a chance to hear directly from top professionals and learn about real-world challenges and opportunities in the service sector.

Students do not just sit and listen. They join discussions, team up with invited business leaders and professors in workshops, and even lead some sessions. This setup makes sure students get the most out of the event, gaining insights in addition to what they find in textbooks.

Moreover, behind the scenes the students gain practical experience by planning the event. They experience everything from marketing and promoting the event, obtaining sponsorship from businesses, setting budgets, picking themes, planning workshops and getting the word out. This gives them a peek into the world of event management and its challenges and a chance build their professional networks and gain confidence in their capabilities.

Overall, Serviceforum is a bright example of what can happen when students, higher education, and the business world come together, and a demonstration of the huge potential of collaborations between them.

Main takeaways:

  • Student empowerment– organising events, from designing the theme to operational tasks, allows students to experience real-world challenges, preparing them for their future careers. This can lead to successful events and practical learning experiences.
  • Connecting academia and business – events like Serviceforum foster meaningful interactions between students and the regional, national, and international business community. Through direct interactions and collaborations, students lay the foundation for professional relationships that can benefit them long after graduation.

3.4.3 Turning academic insights into sustainable entrepreneurship

Contributor: Idun Sand

This case highlights the journey of one student that began in the classrooms of the University of Stavanger and led to the establishment of a startup related to tourism and sustainability. Her primary motivation was a desire to make a meaningful impact within the booming tourism industry, recognised for its complex global scale and potential consequences for societies, infrastructures and natural resources. Her academic education in topics like “Ethics in Tourism” and “Responsible Tourism” highlighted pressing issues such as consumerism, overcrowding, and environmental sustainability in her mind. One day, during a brainstorming session, the overlooked souvenir industry emerged as a potential avenue for further work. What she found out was that despite the general shift towards environmental awareness, souvenir shops seemed an exception, as evidenced by the rapid growth of such shops.

Further discussions with course lecturers and other interested classmates led to the development of a hypothesis. They believed that tourists, although they may practice sustainability in their daily lives, often neglect these habits when traveling. Surveys validated their hypothesis, revealing a noticeable drop in sustainability efforts during vacations.

Instead of simply marketing sustainability, the team realised the importance of reshaping their approach. They wanted to ensure that tourists not only recognise their environmental impact but also make responsible choices. Drawing inspiration from the concepts of responsible tourism and behavioural insights, they initiated a digital campaign. They shared knowledge through Instagram aiming to encourage and guide travelers towards sustainable choices. Additionally, by offering eco-friendly alternatives in the souvenir space, they are working on rewarding tourists for making the right decisions.

Main takeaways:

  • Academic foundations matter –theoretical knowledge from universities can be effectively applied to address real-world challenges.
  • Overlooked problems should be highlighted in lectures – in large sectors like tourism, even minor issues, such as waste from brochures, can offer innovative business opportunities.
  • From classroom to entrepreneurship –the student’s journey from lectures to launching a sustainable startup exemplifies the transformative potential of HEIs in shaping the next generation of innovators and business leaders.

3.4.4 Adventure tourism and entrepreneurship course: Learning business from professionals

Contributor: Truls Engström

One of the courses offered to students in the University of Stavanger, called Adventure Tourism and Entrepreneurship, is designed to be more than just a regular class. It’s led by business professionals with a history in the tourism industry. Teachers don’t just teach from books – they share their real business stories and lessons, which equip students with a foundation of knowledge, skills and general competence within the field of adventure tourism and entrepreneurship. The course asks students to come up with their own business idea and plan it out using 24 clear entrepreneurship steps. This isn’t just a school project; it is more like setting up a real business. And while doing this, a big part of the course involves students meeting actual business owners. For instance, they get to visit places like Kongeparken, Magma Geopark and Air by Bolder, which are all examples of successful tourism and entertainment enterprises. They don’t just see how these businesses run, the actually get to chat with the people in charge. This gives them an inside look into how successful businesses really work.

Main takeaways:

  • Hands-on expertise – the course showcases the advantage of learning directly from seasoned business professionals, allowing students to gain insights that textbooks alone can’t provide.
  • Real-world exposure –through on-site visits and direct interactions with successful business owners, students gain an overview of the operational and strategic aspects of running a business, enhancing their understanding and readiness for entrepreneurship.
  • From theory to application – by developing a business idea and guiding them through 24 concrete entrepreneurship steps, academic learning can be seen as directly aligned with the practicalities of launching and managing a startup.

4. Complementary views on the subject from a survey

A survey was conducted using questionnaires to supplement the case studies and to map the best practices for transferring knowledge to the workplace. The goal was to learn about current modes of collaboration between HEIs and the tourism industry and related future aspirations in the four project partner organisations. The questionnaires were distributed to four separate target groups through the partner institutions’ networks: 1) tourism students, 2) alumni, 3) tourism research and development workers and teachers in HEIs and 4) tourism professionals.

The first part of this section includes a table illustrating the distribution of survey answers among the different target groups. The next part discusses observations on the survey and briefly presents highlights of the survey responses from each target group. The final part contains four infographics summarising the survey’s main findings from teachers and the tourism industry.

4.1 Demographics of the survey  

The survey yielded insights which can foster collaboration and the dissemination of research findings between HEIs and the tourism field. The distribution of responses to the survey questions is presented in the demographics table on this page (table 1). The demographics reflect and correlate with the different numbers of students in each project partner HEI.

Target groupAlumniStudentsTourism fieldEducators and R&D
number of respondents (n)811405765
Gender females72%68%78%62%
Gender males27%31%20%37%
Gender n/a1%1%2%1%
Nationality of respondent5 Slovenian
65 Portuguese
7 Finnish
1 Chinese
1 Angolan
2 n/a  		7 Slovenian
103 Portuguese
8 Finnish
7 Norwegian
3 Ukrainian
3 Indian
2 Croatian
1 Somali
1 Brazilian
1 Polish
1 Nepalis
1 Russian
2 n/a  		14 Slovenian
31 Portuguese
6 Finnish
1 Croatian
1 Australian
1 British
1 Greek
2 n/a  		9 Slovenian
44 Portuguese
5 Finnish
2 Norwegian
2 Swedish
1 Croatian
2 n/a  

Table 1. Demographics of the questionnaire respondents.

A considerable proportion of survey respondents were female. In every target group, the most represented nationality was Portuguese. The second largest nationality group was Slovenian, and the third Finnish.

The following is background information on each target group from the survey. The first group was students, of whom 83 % were studying for a bachelor’s degree in tourism and 41 % were third-year students. The second group is was alumni. Among the alumni respondents, 80 % had finished their studies over 10 years ago and 47 % had mentors from the tourism field during their studies. Of the tourism research and development workers and teachers in HEIs group 20 % were involved in cooperation with local tourism companies and 19 % with other tourism education institutions, but surprisingly 49 % of tourism research and development workers and teachers in HEIs are not involved in any cooperation with tourism companies or other institutions. Among the target group of tourism field professionals, most of the respondents were guides or representatives of the accommodation sector.

4.2 Preferred channels for sharing information: observations from the survey

One of the key questions in ReWo project is what kind of channels and methods could be used for sharing the students’ research results to working life. To find the answers to this question from different segments the survey had separate questionnaires for 1) tourism students, 2) alumni, 3) tourism research and development workers and teachers in higher education institutions, and 4) tourist professionals.

The questionnaires included several options, and one was able to select more than one option from the presented listing. At this point, the highest 3 to 4 responses are selected for each target group. The first target group is the tourism students.

The tourism students who responded to the survey questions answered that the best channels to share knowledge or research findings in the tourism field would be internships, workshops, seminars, and online platforms (e.g. Research Gate, Academia.edu).  The second group is the alumni. According to alumni the best channels to share students’ knowledge or research findings would be workshops, conferences, internships, and seminars. Tourism research and development workers and teachers in higher education institutions share their students’ project results or findings at conferences, seminars, or workshops. Tourist professionals’ most preferred options for learning from students’ work are workshops, seminars, and online platforms. All the above had workshops and seminars among their best choices.

4.3 Current situation and future needs regarding cooperation: Infographics based on survey results

One of the key questions of the ReWo project concerns what kinds of channels and methods could be used for sharing students’ research results with working life. The questionnaires included several options, and respondents were able to select more than one option from the list of answers. At this point, top 3 to 4 responses from each target group were selected. The first target group was the tourism students who felt that the best channels for sharing knowledge or research findings in the tourism field would be through internships, workshops, seminars and online platforms (e.g. Research Gate, Academia.edu). The second group was alumni. According to alumni the best channels for sharing students’ knowledge or research findings would be through workshops, conferences, internships and seminars. Tourism research and development workers and teachers in HEIs share their students’ project results and findings at conferences, seminars, or workshops. Tourism professionals’ preferred options for learning about students’ work are workshops, seminars and online platforms. All groups had workshops and seminars among their top choices.

Figure 1. The teacher group of survey respondents shared examples of current cooperation with tourism industry.

Figure 2. The teacher group of survey respondents shared their ideas on what is currently missing from tourism study curricula.

Figure 3. Tourism industry respondents shared current forms of cooperation with HEIs.

Figure 4. Tourism industry respondents shared their hopes and needs regarding cooperation with HEIs.

Cooperation between research and working life does currently happen. However, all survey participants stated that there is a need for more cooperation. Most tourism industry workers indicate that they want more cooperation with HEIs, and about half of the survey respondents from the tourism industry have engaged in cooperation before. Survey respondents from HEIs and alumni responded similarly. Both groups had cooperated with the tourism industry before and they would like there to be more cooperation in the future.

5. Reflections

5.1 Advancing co-creation of curricula

The current curricula in the project partner organisations of the project already support student-industry connections. In Lapland University of Applied Sciences, for example, most theses are commissioned by members of the industry and all theses are published online. In addition, Lapland UAS states that learning in the institution is collaborative and that students, teachers and industry together construct shared knowledge (Lapland UAS, 2023). Moreover, the University of Maribor focuses on bridging the gap between industry and students by means of field tutorials, during which students review good practices in the tourism field and tourism-related activities. Additionally, student projects are implemented in cooperation with organisations (University of Maribor, 2021). The University of Stavanger also offers industry mentorships, as mentioned in the case examples in this report.

However, there’s always room for improvement. Often it is up to individual teachers to decide whether certain study units have a connection to working life or not and just as often it is up to the students themselves to search for meaningful internship possibilities or thesis commissions that serve their career interests and provide added value for the company. Even though curricula already support the student–working world connection fairly well, Davey et al. (2018) suggest that curricula co-development should be further advanced: when the industry is involved in designing curricula, they can ensure that the competencies of graduates – their potential future workers – meet their needs (p. 121).

Improving curricula is also one of the issues the ReWo project is aims to have an impact on. The needs for development were elaborated by the teachers and RDI staff through the questionnaire. Examples of curricula development ideas included knowledge on sustainability, consumer behaviour, customer surveys, and ethics, to name a few.

Based on the findings of this study it seems obvious that 1) there is will for more cooperation between all parties, 2) needs have been identified regarding cooperation with the industry and 3) gaps exist in current curricula. Thus, co-designing curricula together with HEIs and industry representatives would be beneficial. Adding students’ insights would complete the circle.

5.2. Practical needs and novelty as a basis for development and cooperation

Information is most likely to be applied when it is demand-based. Thus, understanding the needs of the industry is vital. One might assume that smaller companies would be more agile in applying new research and development ideas to their activities. However, it’s not just the size of the company that matters, but the entire context, including the specific development needs of the companies.  The survey showed that tourism professionals are interested in cooperation with HEIs and they believe cooperation could help them gain new knowledge on, for example, new trends and future of the tourism field. It was also mentioned that conducting projects together with HEIs would be interesting and that they would want to propose topics for theses. In addition, the tourism professionals also value their own role in mentoring and supervising students. 

For example, when discussing sustainability and how it can be integrated into tourism companies’ day-to-day activities, the founder and the manager of the Boutique Hotel Lietsu in Joensuu explained that hiring students and graduates is part of their strategy of putting sustainability into practice. This is because the manager is aware that sustainability issues are important, even self-evident, for younger generations and they have the latest information on the topic. Also, Lietsu has conducted several sustainability development projects jointly with students, including theses and projects to co-create the latest knowledge. Providing real business life projects with quality supervision for students is itself a way to implement corporate social sustainability. (Puhakka-Tarvainen 2023.) In a similar vein, the cases presented in this report emphasise the practical benefits of cooperation, for example the case from Portugal where the alumnus of the Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies saw the value of interns bringing their new knowledge to her DMC.

In January 2023 Lapland University of Applied Sciences hosted a seminar titled The Impact and Use of Results in Development Work. The panel discussion with participants from development and financing organisations as well as from enterprises raised some interesting views on the topic. There was a consensus among the specialists in the discussion that putting new information or research results into action requires a practical need. Moreover, Juho Uutela, CEO of tourism company Beyond Arctic, stated that for an enterprise research and development activities are investments for the future, as long as the research effort has novelty value (Uutela 2023). Marja Kivekäs, CEO of social and health care company Saarenvire, argued that engaging enterprises in development activities might be challenging due to their limited resources (Kivekäs 2023). Cooperation with HEIs and students could be motivational in both of these cases as it is very resource efficient. In addition, HEIs work with and continuously produce new and up-to-date knowledge. Thus, the novelty value is built in.

5.3. Multi-channel ways to share information are needed

The industry, however, may lack information on the possibilities for cooperation with HEIs and their students. In addition, because the success stories and achievements born of this kind of cooperation are not shared enough, institutions are forced to reinvent the wheel repeatedly. The recommendations of the UBC report also suggested that the benefits of cooperation should be promoted through various different media (Davey et al. 2018, 6).

As the case examples presented in this report show, innovative and fruitful cooperation already exists in many forms. What is needed are more forums, channels and arenas to make the best cases available for everyone to learn. The key seems to be making good practices visible and finding more opportunities for industry representatives, students and HEI staff to meet, exchange ideas and find common ground for cooperation that benefits all parties.

Davey et al. (2018) regard the distribution of research results as an important way of transferring information (p. 120). The results of our study indicate the same: the questionnaire results showed that the tourism industry would like to receive research results through online platforms, where the information needs to be quick and concise. In addition, the best practice cases also demonstrated some ideas on how information can be distributed, for example through a public presentation or a poster.

The ReWo project aims to tackle these issues by, foe example, experimenting with new methods to convey research results to industry through visualisations and finding the most effective media to share results with businesses. In addition, the ReWo project will explore the role of an “idea manager” who would act as an intermediator between HEIs and industry stakeholders. As a long-term objective, the ReWo project aims to propose updating curricula to better bridge the gap between students, their studies, and working life.

The aim of this best practices report was to communicate very simple and concrete acts or practices that could help anyone take small steps towards more collaborative education. More strategic work that can affect education frameworks is still needed.

References

Cooper, C. 2015. Managing tourism knowledge. Tourism Recreation Research, 40(1), 107-119.

Davey, T., Meerman, A., Galán-Muros, V., Orazbayeva, B., & Baaken, T. (2018). The state of university-business cooperation in Europe. Publications Office of the European Union. Accessed 5.9.2023. Final_report_14_05_2018.indd (europa.eu)

Hudson, S. 2013. Knowledge exchange: A destination perspective. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 2(3), 129-131.

Häikiö, S., Prevost, N. & Rödel, M. 2021. Internalization from within – International students strengthen the intercultural competence in local businesses. Lumen 03/2021. Internationalisation from within – International students strengthen the intercultural competence in local businesses – Lumen (eoppimispalvelut.fi)

Kangastie, H. 2014. Lapin ammattikorkeakoulu oppivaa, osaavaa ja luovaa aluetta kehittämässä. Jankkila, H., & Kangastie, H. (toim.). Työelämälähtöisyys ja -läheisyys Lapin ammattikorkeakoulussa: Toimintamallin avaus, 17-25.

Kivekäs, M. 2023. Saarenvire. CEO statements in Panel discussion in Vaikuttavuus ja tulosten hyödyntäminen kehittämisetyössä -seminar (Impact and use of results in development work seminar) 27.1.2023

Lapland University of Applied Sciences. 2023. Curricula. Home | Study Guide, Lapin AMK (csc.fi) 31.8.2023

Mäki, K. 2019. Ammattikorkeakoulupedagogiikka–tiedon ja taidon oppimisen rajapinnassa. Ammatilliseksi opettajaksi. Accessed 19.1.2024. ammatilliseksiopettajaksi.pdf (theseus.fi).

Passoja, A. 2022. Matkailukoulutus menetti nuoret – Ronja Rissanen ei säikähtänyt alan turbulenssia: “Maailmasta ei tiedä, mutta pitää ajatella positiivisesti.” Yle. Matkailukoulutus menetti nuoret – Ronja Rissanen ei säikähtänyt alan turbulenssia: “Maailmasta ei tiedä, mutta pitää ajatella positiivisesti” | Yle 31.8.2022

Puhakka-Tarvainen, Helena. 2023.  Lietsu Boutique Aparthotel. Private e-mail exchange 10.10.2023. Malla Alatalo.

Ruhanen, L., & Cooper, C. 2004. Applying a knowledge management framework to tourism research. Tourism Recreation Research, 29(1), 83-87.

University of Maribor 2021. Study tourism – Faculty of Tourism. 11.7.2021. Accessed 10.10.2023 https://www.ft.um.si/en/prospective-students/study-tourism/#specifics-of-the-study-programmes

Uutela, J. 2023. Beyond Arctic. CEO statements in panel discussion in Vaikuttavuus ja tulosten hyödyntäminen kehittämistyössä -seminar (Impact and use of results in development work seminar) 27.1.2023.

In writing this report, the authors have utilized artificial intelligence tool, ChatGPT version 3.5 to support ideation (For chapter 2). The authors have thoroughly reviewed and edited the content generated by AI taking full responsibility for the text.

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