How coffee-breaks can inspire and support academics’ external engagement.
INTRO
Ideas are commonly created in informal settings. That’s why the School of Engineering at Jönköping University (JTH) have enjoyed Tuesday “fika” (fika = Swedish for coffee break) every week for about 25 years. This is where all JTH staff meet for an informal coffee break.
ARGUMENT
In the Time4UNIchange-project we found that one important element for cultural change is consistent two-way communication. To get everyone on the same page it is also important that everyone has an understanding of the common goal, in this case to increase external engagement and entrepreneurial activities amongst academics. Further we also found that academics are highly influenced by their colleagues and management. JTH has an arena where colleagues meet in an informal setting that makes two-way communication possible, between both management and academics. This could be why the external engagement culture is prominent at JTH.
Every Tuesday between 9:45-10:15 the Gallery at JTH is filled with staff sharing ideas over coffee or tea and a sandwich. The idea is to set an informal and creative environment, a platform for academics to share ideas, experiences, upcoming events, and activities. This casual way of meeting facilitates communication, both peer-to-peer, and between academics and management. As we see it, colleagues that meet and talk about ongoing and upcoming project have a positive influence on each other.
At the Tuesday “fika” the staff is encouraged to mix with other departments and roles than one’s own. This can help create an understanding and insight of what other departments are doing. Thus, not only external, but also interdepartmental collaborations can be initiated. Another success-factor is that the management also makes a conscious effort to mix with staff at the “fika” to pick up on current atmosphere, activities, and issues.
The event also gives opportunities for sharing external contacts for collaboration, introducing visiting guests, and can also be an opportunity to raise awareness among staff about projects, excellent collaborations, role models etc. to provide inspiration for e.g., further external engagement. It is also common for staff to talk about their current challenges with each other and work together on solutions. This kind of peer-to-peer support can also relieve HEI support functions, as well as providing more relevant solutions.
ARGUMENT
Over time, the Tuesday “fika” has become deeply rooted in the JTH culture, almost like a ritual. Booking a meeting elsewhere during this time is commonly frowned upon, which indicates how appreciated and important the Tuesday “fika” is for the academic staff. This is why we would encourage HEI management to create this kind of setting for their staff to enhance external engagement and entrepreneurial activities among academics.