The University of Twente is funded by the European Commission in the context of the Erasmus+ program for the project PERFECT („Purchasing Education and Research for European Competence Transfer“). In a competitive environment, the application scored 95 from 100 possible points. According to the committee: “The internationally designated project team has an ideal composition made up of new and experienced partners which is favourable for collaboration within the scope of EU-supported projects.” One of the partners comes from Lappeenranta University of Technology, which is also Twente’s partner in the new double degree programme of the MSc BA profile “Purchasing and Supply”. The other partners are from Dortmund and Mainz (Germany), as well as from Staffordshire (United Kingdom). Prof. Holger Schiele (Institute for Innovation and Governance Studies, IGS), is glad: “Project PERFECT will not only consolidate our leading position in purchasing education and science, but this first European project is a big achievement for the entire Business Administration group in Twente, which is increasingly gaining international recognition.”
The fundamental goal of PERFECT is the formulation of a pan-European purchasing curriculum. In contrast to the status quo in other disciplines, no standardized curriculum on university level for the training of future purchasers is to be found worldwide. The project provides many opportunities European enterprises, who spend more than half of their turnover on supplies. In addition, many suppliers have their offices abroad and a pan-European orientation in connection with the Erasmus+ program offers the chance to directly prepare students for activities in an international environment. The project will make it easier for students to acquire qualifications in the field of purchasing in different institutions because of improved coordination.
To ensure broad dissemination of the results, the project partners work closely with the two international associations IPSERA (International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association) and IFPSM (International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management).
