Construction Education and Research in Central Europe

Abstract

Construction engineering and management education in Central Europe, and its relationship to practice in the construction industry, have concepts that could benefit their counterparts in the United States. This paper first describes the system of education in Central European technical universities, then reviews curricula in four cases. University research practices are also examined and compared to U.S. counterparts, as is the role of academics in industry. While there are many similarities between the two systems, there is more technical content in European degree programs, but at the expense of liberal arts courses. They have more decentralized autonomy in budgeting and staffing, with larger staff sizes to support comparable numbers of faculty and students; but they have lower capital equipment budgets. Finally, characteristics of the Central European construction industry that support research and innovation are examined. These include top management's greater interest in technology and innovation, a comparative lack of the legal liability problems, a bid evaluation system which encourages contractors to submit design alternatives, in‐house contractor research laboratories, and a more cooperative contract administration climate.