Handbook for Strategic City-University co-operation

This handbook is the result of work started in 2019 at the initiative of Lausanne (City and University) and co - ordinated by the Parma Secretariat (City and University), with the aim of describing the state of the art of collaboration models currently in use. The handbook was co-developed by the members of the EUniverCities network and edited by Willem van Winden as lead expert of the network.

The handbook has three parts. Part one offers insights and guidance for setting up collaborations, maintaining them, and reaping their fruits; Part two contains detailed case studies that we analysed in-depth during three online workshops, originating from Ghent, Lausanne, Trondheim and Turku. Part three contains a rich collection of case studies that were written by the members of the EUniverCities network.

Part one is organized as follows: Chapter 2 identifies drivers and barriers that encourage, promote or hinder collaboration, seen from the perspective of both the university and the city.

Chapter 3 presents a typology of university-city collaboration models that can be found in Europe, ranging from very strategic frameworks to models for more specific purposes.

The chapters 4, 5 and 6 provide practical guidance for starting up the collaboration (chapter 4), consolidating it (chapter 5) and valorising the results (chapter 6).

Part two contains extensive case studies from Ghent, Lausanne, Trondheim and Turku.

Part three contains a rich collection of shorter case studies of city-university collaboration; each case ends with key takeaways lessons learned. Evidently, each city and country is different in terms of history, culture and policy context, with deep implications for the way cities and university can best frame their partnership. Probably, there are no single “winning” strategies. Hence, this handbook must be read as a source of inspiration for local initiators of strategic collaboration rather than as a source of ready-made solutions.