How to design cooperations where students give suggestions for solution of companies problems?

 This week several teachers from Europe discussed their experiences with cooperation and partnerships between schools and companies, and how it is possible to design a good partnership. All the participants found it important to pursue cooperation. They also found that the students often have many ideas and visions, that could turn out useful for companies – for example informatics students can develop apps and computer technology for companies. This is a way for the students to gain real experience, and not just solve a hypothetical problem that the teacher has created for them. The real challenge with cooperation is, that it is often hard to get the companies to acknowledge the potential in students’ visionary ideas.

Anette Lauridsen, a Danish expert from the municipality of Assens in Denmark described how a local school had made cooperation with a local company that produces stoves. The cooperation resulted in a science project and a short film, where the students showed how citizens could reduce air pollution with different techniques, when they burn wood in stoves. The company might use this film for commercial purposes – even though it was not made by professionals.