Knowledge Utilisation Challenges in Hungarian Higher Education – Focusing on Regional Faculties of Economics

Abstract

Knowledge utilisation is a key area for higher education institutions, particularly for economics departments, as their research and teaching activities are directly related to the economic and social environment. The study aimed to explore how knowledge is used in the economics departments of rural Hungarian universities across three areas: incorporating research results into teaching, corporate cooperation, and intellectual property management. The research employed a qualitative methodology, using semi-structured interviews with senior representatives of the training units. The interviews provided an opportunity to explore institutional practices, incentives, and constraints in detail. The results show that the integration of research results into education is a widespread practice that is also supported at the institutional level, but that a number of organisational and individual factors hinder its full implementation. Through corporate collaborations, knowledge is used in a variety of ways, but its intensity and effectiveness vary across institutions. Intellectual property is managed within a regulated framework, but its actual commercial exploitation is rare. The results of the research highlight that in economics training units, knowledge utilisation is most prevalent in education and corporate cooperation, while intellectual property plays a less prominent role.