über Köpfe

English translation: through personal interaction(s)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:über Köpfe
English translation:through personal interaction(s)
Entered by: David Williams

13:42 Jan 14, 2009
German to English translations [PRO]
Science - Science (general) / Research & development
German term or phrase: über Köpfe
Context:
Wissenstransfer geschieht am besten „über Köpfe“.

Talking about the application of scientific findings in innovations. I've seen it translated as "transfer through human capital mobility" in a slightly different context, but that doesn't seem to hit the mark to me.
David Williams
Germany
Local time: 00:58
through personal interactions [(rather than more formal and slower interchanges of (see below)
Explanation:
((another Proz website malfunction))
through personal interactions [(rather than more formal and slower interchanges of journal articles and the like)]
Selected response from:

TechLawDC
United States
Local time: 19:58
Grading comment
Thanks, I think that does indeed work best.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3through "brains" / brainy people
Sabine Lenz
4"via brains"
Crassenstein
3 +1from one thinker to another
casper (X)
3 +1expertise is best transferred by transferring experts
Anne Schulz
3through humans / the human factor
Steffen Walter
3through personal interactions [(rather than more formal and slower interchanges of (see below)
TechLawDC
3academic - business transfer
Helen Shiner
3mind to mind
Ken Cox
2with individuals with scientific minds
bonafide1313
Summary of reference entries provided
Towards a definition
Helen Shiner
Towards a definition (2)
bonafide1313

Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
„über Köpfe“
through humans / the human factor


Explanation:
What is key/crucial to transfer knowledge is the "human" factor.
The best way to transfer knowledge is to make use of the "human" factor.

(as a first approximation)

Steffen Walter
Germany
Local time: 00:58
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 39
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

43 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
„über Köpfe“
through "brains" / brainy people


Explanation:
as in "intelligent people"

Sabine Lenz
Germany
Local time: 00:58
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
19 mins

agree  bonafide1313: there are numerous theories on how knowledge transfer is best achieved, but I think that „über Köpfe“ theory means just that - clever heads:)
1 hr

agree  Barbara Wiebking: I like clever heads - or maybe just "through people".
3 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
„über Köpfe“
through personal interactions [(rather than more formal and slower interchanges of (see below)


Explanation:
((another Proz website malfunction))
through personal interactions [(rather than more formal and slower interchanges of journal articles and the like)]

TechLawDC
United States
Local time: 19:58
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks, I think that does indeed work best.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Steffen Walter: No "malfunction" involved - just a character limit deliberately set for the term headline of the answer form.
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
„über Köpfe“
"via brains"


Explanation:
our "Köpfe" is equivalent for US`s "brains". We call them "Köpfe" (Eierköpfe, das Prekariat), they call them "brains" or eggheads (everybody).

Example sentence(s):
  • via brains you ought to accomplish your goals.
Crassenstein
Germany
Works in field
Native speaker of: German
Notes to answerer
Asker: That would mean "telepathically" or "by telepathy", would it not?

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
from one thinker to another


Explanation:
or even:
from one thinking mind to another

casper (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  mary austria
29 mins
  -> Thank you for confirming, mary
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
„über Köpfe“
with individuals with scientific minds


Explanation:
... just an idea in line with what I put as reference...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2009-01-14 16:49:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

... though it can't just be "pasted" into the asker's sentence

bonafide1313
Croatia
Local time: 00:58
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in CroatianCroatian
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Wissenstransfer geschieht am besten über Köpfe
expertise is best transferred by transferring experts


Explanation:
another suggestion along Helen's lines

Anne Schulz
Germany
Local time: 00:58
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Harald Moelzer (medical-translator)
4 mins
  -> Danke Harald!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

58 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
„über Köpfe“
academic - business transfer


Explanation:
There are such things as academic-business transfer programmes so maybe that would be an avenue to follow.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2009-01-14 16:20:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The German expresses it in that way, but saying via brainy people or via brains is just nonsense in English. The 'transfer', or you could say 'collaboration' is HOW, but it is more than that. It is about graduates moving into industry/business. Your expression 'transfer through human capital mobility' is correct though ugly and could perhaps be improved upon. How about 'academic - business interchange' - though that still does not cover the move into jobs by academics.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2009-01-14 17:00:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

How about 'transfer of expertise'? Surely that is what it is and rather more sophisticated as a turn of phrase? Hope it helps anyway.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2009-01-14 17:20:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or what about 'mobility of expertise' - the Köpfe here are the experts - everyone has brains and it is not about just any old human interaction

This article is about how UK-based transnational corporations source expertise and move highly skilled people among their sites. TNCs rely heavily on their internal labour markets for skills. We examine patterns and trends in the ways that TNCs in two sectors, aerospace and extractives, dynamically orchestrate and deploy their networks of expertise internationally to address the demands of different markets. We chart the types of mobility that exist, identify how and why they are used, and explore some of the institutional, industrial, organizational and technological factors that influence these trends. We show that different types of mobility play distinct roles in organizations. Companies respond to mobility calls from diverse stimuli by linking together mobility options into portfolios of moves that represent negotiated responses to industrial and individual requirements.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119421365/abstrac...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2009-01-14 17:24:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry I was distracted. This is the title of the above article:
Portfolios of mobility: the movement of expertise in transnational corporations in two sectors — aerospace and extractive industries

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:58
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12
Notes to answerer
Asker: Except that this is talking about HOW such academic - business transfer takes place.

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

23 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
mind to mind


Explanation:
another option...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2009-01-15 13:29:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

On second thought, after looking at the reference comments you should consider whether the intended meaning in the context is the process of transfering knowledge or expertise from one person to another (in which case mind to mind would work), or from one organisation to another (in which case you could consider an alternative such as 'via grey matter' ) If you need a slogan in the latter case, how about 'use your noggin' or 'use our noggin', as appropriate ( the second option is somewhat humorous, which is a bonus if it fits the situation).

Ken Cox
Local time: 00:58
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, it is - as you suspect - from one organisation to another, rather than merely from one person to another, but that transfer from one organisation to another is achieved from one person to another, or that's how I understand it.

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)




Reference comments


32 mins peer agreement (net): +2
Reference: Towards a definition

Reference information:
Transfer über Köpfe
Berliner Förderprogramm "Innovationsassistent" feiert 20. Geburtstag


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Der beste Transfer von Wissen aus der Hochschule hinein in kleine und mittlere Unternehmen erfolgt über Köpfe: durch die Einstellung von jungen Hochschulabsolventen, die voller innovativer Ideen stecken. Nach diesem Grundgedanken wurde vor 20 Jahren von Wirtschaftssenator Elmar Pieroth das Berliner Förderprogramm "Innovations-Assistent" aus der Taufe gehoben, das die Anstellung von frisch examinierten Technik- und Wirtschaftsstudenten mit einem Förderbonus von 45 Prozent für ein Jahr unterstützt, sofern ein Arbeitsvertrag über zwei Jahre abgeschlossen wird.
http://www.berlinews.de/archiv-2002/1746.shtml

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  bonafide1313: I feel this is the right direction and have contributed with another reference
1 hr
  -> Thank you, bonafide1313
agree  Anne Schulz
2 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: Towards a definition (2)

Reference information:
Der Wissens- und Technologietransfer von der Grundlagenforschung in die Wirtschaft läuft vor allem über bestens ausgebildete, kreative Fachleute. Ein weiterer Weg sind Patente, Firmengründungen, gemeinsame Projekte und informelle Kontakte.
Von Erika Meili
Der Transfer in die Wirtschaft läuft über Köpfe
«Der Transfer von der Forschung in die Wirtschaft läuft über Köpfe», sagt Rudolf Walser von Economiesuisse, dem Verband der Schweizer Unternehmen. «Und ohne hochstehende Forschung würde die Ausbildung im internationalen Vergleich zurückfallen.» Die Schweizer Wirtschaft braucht denn auch immer mehr wissenschaftlich gebildete Fachleute.

bonafide1313
Croatia
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in CroatianCroatian

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Helen Shiner: Another good example of its use. Could you provide the link to the article in question, please?/That's great, thanks.
12 mins
  -> http://www.snf.ch/SiteCollectionDocuments/horizonte/68_14_d.... (sorry for having omitted it)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search