Cooperation between Business and Academia in Germany - A Critical Analysis of New Trends in Designing Integrated Study Programs Based on E-learning

Abstract

The university system in Germany is currently undergoing profound changes. In order to strengthen their competitive position, private universities of applied sciences are increasingly offering integrating study programs which combine profound academic education with practical on-the-job training in a company. Private businesses highly appreciate those dual-systems of studies as they meet their demand on well-qualified, experienced junior staff. Moreover, sometimes companies may even influence the design of study programs to a certain degree. Especially large corporations have recognized the possibility to shape the content and structure of study programs according to their specific needs-provided that a sufficient number of students will be sent to the academic institution. In the course of this development, the places where students are doing their studies are moved away from the university campus to the student's workplace in the company. Consequently, the amount of time being spent at the university is decreasing. This model of university studies can only be realized by making use of a broad range of e-learning tools being available. E-Learning makes it possible to transfer academic education into a virtual context, e.g. by providing access to virtual seminars via Live-E-Learning at the workplace. E-Learning lectures are integrated into the normal working day of the student-reducing his time being absent from the workplace. The regular and systematic change between periods of academic education at the university and periods of practical work in the company which has been typical for study programs following the dual-system-is giving way to a completely new form of business-integrating university studies. This article is going to discuss different issues of this development. The central question to be answered is whether the still dominating model of dual study programs can be replaced by a more and more company-integrating model which is profoundly based on e-learning. Advantages and disadvantages for all parties involved will be analyzed leading to a critical reflection on how far cooperation between companies and universities may go.