A transfer strategy matching the university’s philosophy “Responsibility is Key”

The philosophy “Responsibility is Key” was first expressed for the University of Vechta on the occasion of an event with the same designation in June 2016. Together with the conceptual basis of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and the claim of a multi-directional approach, this philosophy was not only incorporated into the transfer strategy for the University of Vechta adopted by the University Executive Board in January 2017, but also into the University Development Plan for 2019-2023 and the target agreements for 2019-2021 concluded with the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK).

On the basis of these concepts and documents, the University of Vechta has initiated a further participatory process in 2019 to update its transfer strategy until the middle of 2021. This process was initiated on the basis of preliminary organisational work by the Vice President for Research, Junior Researchers and Transfer and the Department of Research Development and Knowledge Transfer (RFW) at the „Kick-off-Workshop zur Weiterentwicklung der Transferstrategie der Universität Vechta“ (kick-off workshop for the further development of the transfer strategy of the University of Vechta) on 27 June 2019. Subsequently, an open working group on the further development of the transfer strategy was set up, which dealt with conceptual and content-related elements of the future transfer strategy in several workshops, but primarily with the organisation of the further participatory process.

Essentially, this process involved three further steps. As part of an online survey among university employees in October/November 2019, the understanding of transfer as well as the wishes and objectives of those involved in transfer were enquired. These results were presented on the occasion of the research funding day “Transfer und Third Mission” on 27 November 2019 and discussed publicly at the university, also with regard to the parallel development of transfer strategies for the state of Lower Saxony.

The strategic goals and operational measures developed here and in the previous workshops were then put up for discussion in an online discussion forum open to the university public (until February 2020). The RFW summarised the results and the University Executive Board presented them to the Senate for consultation (April 2020 to May 2021). This document is the final result of this participatory process and was finally discussed and approved by the Senate of the University of Vechta on 28 July 2021.