Collaboration is key internationally

Today, many universities report record numbers of students enrolling in power and energy engineering courses. The power and energy industry shows strong interest in hiring qualified graduates, and the latter see exciting employment opportunities. Issues of power, energy, and environmental impact increasingly are at the center of interest at local conferences, are on the agenda of world summits, and are subject to active debate. The quest for effective and environmentally friendly solutions to energy problems stands at the forefront of a new era. The challenges involved call for an active interaction of university and industry in research and education, and this is the main subject of this article. The article is intended to give the reader an insight into existing forms of collaboration, to evaluate the benefits, and to discuss the trends of active interaction of university and industry in the diverse cultures of different countries. Typical mechanisms of collaboration are reviewed and the benefits resulting from collaboration for both industry and university are evaluated and elaborated upon. Based on these considerations, desirable features of university-industry collaboration today and in the future are discussed.