Maintaining Professional Knowledge at Universities of Applied Sciences: A Dutch Case

One of the core elements of universities of applied sciences is their closeness with the professional field. In fact, as higher education institutions focusing on provision of professionalized training, they are expected that the training they provide is up to date with the current production of knowledge about the modern workplaces and specific professions. In this paper, I investigate how universities of applied sciences link with the professional field and achieve this ultimate goal by analysing 3 interfaces where this intersection might take place and the linkage with the professional field secured: (1) Education (looking at whether teachers actively update curricula and how) (2) Research (looking at what is research about and its outputs) (3) Strategic advice (looking at policy documents and changes in them) In order to understand the research question, and through the 3 interfaces, I will have to analyse changes and modernization of curricula. For this reason, I will develop a questionnaire for teachers to understand how teachers update them and how the changes and challenges in the professional field play a role. I will also perform a document analysis of research reports and strategic policy reports and any documentation in which the professional field is relevant to understand what is the type of involvement of the companies, firms and other civil agencies in the curricula, research and organisational structure of the university of applied sciences.