Advanced Studies in Research and Innovation in Higher Education, 120 cr

MARIHE is a four semester Erasmus Mundus master programme of 120 ECTS credits with an intensive mobility scheme.

During the first academic year all MARIHE students study together in Austria (1st semester) and then in Finland (2nd semester). The first semester in Austria will start with an introduction phase and will then include modules that will build the foundation of studies in research, innovation and HE management.

A series of three modules over three semesters called “Systems in Transition” are dedicated to Analysis and Comparison of HE systems worldwide. It will start in first semester with “Systems in Transition 1”, which is dedicated to History of Higher Education and Regional Focus on Europe (current issues in EHEA and European Research Area/ERA).

Two modules “Research Methods” 1 and 2 during the first two semesters prepare students for conducting management and social scientific research, applying both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Building up on the knowledge and competences acquired in the first semester, the second semester in Finland will offer orientation to students in more specific and applied management topics: Theories of Organisation and Change in HEIs and Research Institutions, Research and Innovation Management, Financial Management and Funding in HE, Research and Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Education. This will help students in further shaping their learning path and deciding for a specialisation.

The module “System in Transition 2” in second semester is dedicated to globalization and internationalisation in HE, and has a regional Focus on Africa and North and South America. The module “Entrepreneurship, Education and Innovation” will foster entrepreneurship education in the programme, with a specialisation on the educational field. “Research Methods 2” will again prepare students for independent research in the field of research, innovation and HE management.

Between the second and the third semester, students will acquire work experience in the form of an internship at well-known organisations in higher education, research and innovation, providing them with the opportunity to gain experience in a real work setting.

After this, they will decide for either China or India for their destination of the field trip to Asia. This field trip will include the module Systems in Transition 3, which has a regional focus on Asia. The second module on this fieldtrip, “Insights from Practice in Chinese HE/in Indian HE” will give students the possibilities to meet and discuss with practitioners such as leaders and managers from HEIs or public authorities. In the case of India, this will be combined with addressing the sector of business school education as an additional focus.

After the fieldtrip to Asia, the last part of the third semester will form the start of students’ specialisation: “Research and Innovation” (Finland), “Leadership and Management” (Germany), “Institutional Research” (Austria) and “Learning and Teaching” (Hungary). All students will accomplish two modules in their chosen specialisation. For the fourth semester, they will stay at the same host institution and write their master thesis in their field of specialisation.

Depending on the chosen specialisation, graduates will receive a joint degree or a double degree:

- Research and Innovation: joint degree awarded by Tampere University and Danube University Krems

- Institutional Research: joint degree awarded by Tampere University and Danube University Krems

- Learning and Teaching: double degree awarded by Tampere University and Eötvös Lorand University

- Leadership and Management: joint degree awarded by Danube University Krems and University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück

- have a sound understanding of the new contexts relevant to research and innovation in higher education (system knowledge combined with global and regional contexts)

- have a sound understanding of the relation between change processes and how these link to education systems and labour markets in general.
- understand the specialties of scientific institutions and how to adapt marketization and deregulation instruments to the needs and the culture of the institutions. They are competent in policy analysis and evaluation.
- have developed skills to link system change with institutional change and implementation of change in different contexts
- demonstrate the ability to analyse critically the relevant literature and to use it as a tool of analysis
- demonstrate also the ability to use research and research management skills and analytical methodologies appropriately and have the potential to move to doctoral studies
- develop management skills to deal with the changing environment inside HE and research institutions
- have the ability to apply management instruments in an adequate way regarding the knowledge triangle.
- demonstrate the ability to think and plan strategically, especially in relation to problem-solving as well as the ability to integrate knowledge, handle complexity, formulate judgements and communicate them to a wider audience
- show the ability to operate with stakeholders of research and innovation, in particular, business companies.