Benefits, limitations and measures concerning the development of cooperation between higher education institutions and external entities

Cooperation between higher education institutions and external entities is a prerequisite for the success of all economic entities and society as a whole in any knowledge-based economy. The aim of the study was to identify, analyze and evaluate the benefits of, and factors limiting, cooperation between higher education institutions and external entities, and identify measures that would contribute to the development of this cooperation from the perspective of managers of public, state and private higher education institutions carrying out activities in the Czech Republic. The study shows that higher education managers consider the contribution to the development of knowledge and experience of students, academics and researchers to be the most important benefit of cooperation. From their point of view, the most significant limiting factors are the limited time availability of faculty/staff, insufficient financial resources and the administrative demands of cooperation. The development of cooperation would be most enhanced by financial support from national public sources or the EU, or through the use of contacts with graduates working for external entities.