Abstract:

University-industry partnership implies an equal and open relationship where a fair value is set on the services given by both sides. It must also recognise the differences between the two cultures and the primary functions of the parties: teaching and public service research with business innovation (two missions) for university on the one hand, production of new products, processes and services (output – added value) for industry, on the other.

For an elite group of world-class research universities strategic collaboration which runs for five to ten years is top priority. Around the fourth quarter of the 20th century research universities have been formed and in the 2010s a new, third role restructures universities; this third mission declares university which is to serve as source of competence and problem-solving for society.

Bold, visionary partnerships between industry and universities can accelerate innovation and help deliver solutions to pressing social challenges. But to harness that symbiosis, the universities of three missions need to be defined, even redefined for the 21st century.

The new third mission now extends beyond the two basic missions to tackling key social challenges and helping drive economic growth.
Win-win situation provides feedback on the partnership, follows-up and communicate on the work of graduates, important for university as a whole to gain experiences on their professional quality.

University of Miskolc (UM), the authors are working with, has partnership with economic life but at much smaller scale than world-wide top universities, however the changes of globalisation and internationalisation in its all functions are impressive. It develops its education, training and service processes based on the operation of four Centres of Excellence.

The Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Natural Resources Management focuses water resource, energy economy, natural resources, soil and arable land and geo-informatics.

The Centre of Excellence on Applied Material Science and Nano-technology deals with up-to-date scientific methods, processes and new experiences on material science and material-informatics.

The Centre of Excellence on Mechatronics and Logistics works with material- and product-flow and assembly processes. By latter-day technologies the opportunity opens up the door to create new systems and processes.

The Centre of Excellence on Innovative Mechanical Engineering Design and Technology needs researchers qualified for design algorithm, product routes and innovative material technology.

A brief account of the results comprised 137 significant publications in international journals and periodicals, all of them have impact factors, more than 1000 national and international publications in scientific journals, periodicals and conference proceedings, then relevant patents and know-how characterize the excellence (2013).

To follow-up graduates' career, University of Miskolc organises each year at the end of August a get-together (reunion) meeting for engineers graduated 10, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 and 60 years earlier and such event provides good forum to get acquainted with how the graduates move-up the hierarchy of management, science, research and technology. And what is more, their opinion on the quality of curriculum and teaching, their degree value, then infrastructure level and academics’ recognition contribute to get near to excellence.