Abstract:

The paper presents the opportunity for establishing and developing a model of knowledge transfer and skills acquisitions in higher education on the ground of intra- and inter-institutional collaboration between key actors in innovation and technologies e.g. multidisciplinary universities with strong expertise in STEM education, Excellence centers in information and communication technologies, as well as technological business entities and secondary schools focused on developing youth STEM competencies in view with 21st age professions of the future.

A short literature overview of the development of STEM education in the European Union and its most important programing based has been made to illustrate the need for collaboration between the different types of institutions in motivating young people to choose dynamically changing careers dependent on worldwide trends in innovations and technologies, researches and achievements as well.

The role of the linkage and knowledge-based transfers between the researchers, working in excellence centers, the secondary schools’ teachers, and the university lecturers is outlined and highlighted based on comparative analysis of the functioning of different centers of excellence (CoE) acting as a booster for the development of resources for STEM education and opportunities for qualification upgrade for STEM teachers. The practice of 6 CoE in Information and communication technologies (ICT) in Europe, the USA, and Australia are examined in connection with their role in the development of sustainable STEM educational multi-actors’ regional microsystems, aiming to strengthen the technologies- and innovations- oriented career development of young researchers and students and fostering their entrepreneurial motivation to participate or establish technological start-ups or spin-off business entities. The most recent example of establishing such a regional micro-system of Ruse University (Bulgaria) has also been used to describe a principle collaborative model of inter-institutional practice for managing and motivating STEM education and career.

Keywords:

STEM education, information, communication, and technologies, centers for excellence, innovation, practical model.