_{This symposium studies the role of practice-based learning in Higher education (HE) study programmes of engineering and of vocational teacher programmes. These practical phases are of different length and have different focuses. Altogether they shall enhance the quality of professional education of students in their domains (e.g. familiarisation with organisational learning, improvement of working and learning environments). The symposium is based on the analyses and results of a recently completed European cooperation project (Euronet-PBL) that focused on practice-based learning as 'vocational elements' in Higher Education.}

_{Such learning arrangements take place at companies and can be shaped as work-related field studies. The students can apply research and development tools that are introduced at preparatory courses at the University. The use of such R&D tools can help the host companies to improve their workplace learning opportunities. In such cases the students can take the role of facilitators who advise the company how to improve their working and learning arrangements.}

_{In the study programmes that have been analysed in the project (in the domains of vocational teacher education, engineering studies and management studies) the students have had chances to study real company-specific problems. These have included analyses of cooperation problems in apprentice training, development of new marketing strategies and solving company-specific engineering problems (see the case studies of the project on the website www.euronet-pbl.net).}

_{The research on such learning arrangements has explored their intrgration in the HE curriculum and following question:}

_{1) How to contribute to the professional growth of students with experience-based learning in the field?}

_{2) How to support research-oriented learning (“students as researchers, problem analysts and eventually as problem solvers”) in the context of practice-based learning?}

_{The studies on vocational teacher education programmes highlight learning arrangements that are closely linked to the pedagogic and didactic expertise of vocational teachers. They also draw attention to the interaction between school-based learning in the company (Deitmer, Heinemann 2009).The students have explored, how to use VET-related research as support for their practice-oriented tasks. Recently, the students have made use of different kind of research tools that analyse the quality of workplace learning within the dual system of apprenticeship and within the particular company (Rauner & Heinemann 2010, Kämäräinen & Deitmer 2009, Grollmann 2008).}

_{In addition to the insights into the project approach and its evaluation design the symposium discusses findings that are related to vocational teacher education (on the basis of German and Norwegian cases) and on engineering studies (on the basis of Danish analyses).}