Vocational university

The UK once had a very extensive vocational university sector with its polytechnic system dating back to the mid-19th century.

It can be contrasted with education in a usually broader scientific field, which may concentrate on theory and abstract conceptual knowledge.

There is also the historical background that an educational institution was called a university in the Middle Ages only if a certain classical canon of subjects was taught (typically including philosophy, medicine and theology).

They had to use other, more general terms (which in many languages are false friends of the English term "high school", sometimes with modifiers), including Fachhochschule in German, Haute École in French (Belgium and Switzerland), Hogeschool in Dutch, Høyskole in Norwegian, Scuola universitaria professionale in Italian, etc.

There are also some establishments which now have full university status but continue to use their former names, such as the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.

In some federal states, research-intensive universities of applied sciences have the permission to grant doctoral degrees (e.g. Hesse or Saxony Anhalt).

A Berufsakademie is called a university of cooperative education in English and only grants bachelor's degrees.

In English, this type of institution is also called university of cooperative education, but a Duale Hochschule also offers master's degrees.

[3] On the other hand, the term college in Greece may refer, among others, to the institutions that are officially titled Centres of Post-lyceum (secondary) Education.

However, they run in collaboration with foreign authorities, such as universities and accreditation organisations, that may recognise them academically.

They focus primarily on teaching the practicing of a profession at the highest professional level and applied scientific research, at the state of the art.

[10] Examples: In the 2023 Policy Address, the government facilitates the establishment of universities of applied sciences (UAS), and strive to raise the status of vocational and professional education and training to attain qualifications at university degree level, closely collaborating with technical professions and offer programmes with more internship and practical learning opportunities, to help students hone their practical skills in the fields.

The Technical and Vocational University (TVU) is one of Institutes of Higher Education under control of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology.