EN
This paper is a part of a larger debate concerning the determinants of high quality education, which in the long term constitutes the bases for CEE countries competitiveness. The authors attempt to answer the question regarding possible levels of modern knowledge transfer into real-life business processes as well as the benefits for higher education institutions of cooperating with business practice representatives. The aim of the paper is to present good practices in the scope of providing students with timely knowledge, skills and social competences within the course of international marketing research (IMR) conducted under the auspices of the International Business program of the University of Economics in Katowice. The paper indicates the need to deepen the cooperation between universities and companies while identifying the beneficiaries of such cooperation also among the students. Examples of student engagement in the business processes of companies within the IMR course are presented. The meaning of social competences as a key educational effect is underlined and it is indicated that the main area of shaping this kind of competences is student participation in projects directed at solving problems of companies. On the basis of the experience assembled barriers of cooperation between academia and business are indicated.