An Effective Academic Industry Linkage

1
An Effective Academic Industry Linkage

• Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad
• Rector
• University of Management and Technology (UMT),
  Lahore
• hasan_at_umt.edu.pk

2
Outline

• Understanding the essence and rationale of an
  effective linkage.
• Tips and traps to maximize outcomes at both ends.
• Some Experiences

3
Essence Inescapable Matrix of learning and
sustainability

• In a societal framework, universities generate
  ideas and develop people industry employ people
  and turn ideas into reality to create resources.

4
Tripartite Relationship

• Society Governance
• Academia Knowledge
• Industry Resources

5
Think of Stakeholders Network
Civil Society
Governments
Business/Industry
Consultants
Business Schools
Institutions/Associations
6
Rationale Fulfillment Institutional Elements

• Purpose
• People
• Product
• Process
• Profit

7
Defining Effectiveness

• A meaningful relationship would evolve around a
  strategy in pursuit of opportunities based on
  realization of interdependency to build synergy,
  appreciation of interests to maximize benefits,
  and assessment of concerns to minimize risks at
  both ends.

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Benefits for Academia

• Ranking and accreditation.
• Branding
• Resources.
• Quality of teaching.
• Relevance and utility of research.
• Better placement of graduates.
• Customization of curriculum.
• Faculty development.
• Student exposure.

9
Benefits for Industry

• Leadership Tool
• Quality of HR
• Problem solving, Improvement, Innovation
• Entrepreneurship
• Knowledge perspectives in decision making
• Fulfillment of CSR
• Growth and Survival

10
Need to Reframe
Normative Results Driven
Contingent Process oriented
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Types of Activities

• Board membership in Industry/Trusteeship in
  University
• Sponsorship/Ownership of programs, facilities,
• Positioning through HR recruitment/naming
  facilities and schools
• Consultancy in Industry

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Types of Activities

• For students internship, recruitment, projects,
  financial aid,
• For Faculty training, case study, journey from
  class room/lab to product/services, papers in
  periodicals, part-time engagement,
• For administration friend raising and fund
  raising, better students, better faculty.

13
Tips and Traps

• Interact with open mind and trust.
• Start with seminars and visits.
• Relate but dont replace each other.
• Think long-term in pursuit of genuine
  opportunities and beyond rhetoric of CSR/IL.
• Focus on enrichment not embellishment.
• Select a few partners based on understanding of
  position and build gradually.
• Leverage alumni in senior positions

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Tips and Traps

• Start with what can be done together to build
  each other.
• Engage in process based activities.
• Dont rush, and sustain.
• Confidentiality is very important.
• Ensure economic sense.
• Honor commitments.
• Facilitate faculty in reaching out.

15
Linkage Life Cycle

• Contact
• Verbal Exchanges/Visits
• Scoping discussions
• Paper Work
• Written commitment

16
Linkage Life Cycle

• Implementation
• Evaluation
• Further Development

17
Our Experiences

• ILM and Hamdard University founded IWAYS and
  undertook a large scale project (Rs 42 M).
• ILM Trust and Bahrain Based Pakistani Industrial
  Group entered into a joint venture under The
  Leadership Foundation to establish learning
  oriented secondary and higher secondary
  institutions. (Project Size Rs 145 M)

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Some Experiences

• Glasgow based Pakistani IT entrepreneurs have
  endowed Rs 10 M for providing ten high quality
  professionals.
• Another Rs 10 M for establishing laboratory on
  mobile computing.
• Faculty members given one and a half day of for
  consulting assignments.
• Garments Productivity Center at School of Science
  and Technology has entered into consulting
  assignment with about a dozen textile concerns
  for productivity improvement projects.

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Some Experiences

• Graduate Research Center providing consulting to
  Government of Punjab for curriculum design of
  University of Gujrat.
• UMT negotiating long-term partnership with
  Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate, Sunder Estate,
  Expo Center to act as knowledge Park in support
  of these Technology Parks.
• Executive-in-Campus Program.

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Some Experiences

• Union Bank and Punjab Bank have partially
  outsourced training to the Center for Management
  Development, a project of ILM Trust.
• Helping an industrial group free of cost in
  establishing a college in a village led to a
  promise of contribution toward campus.

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Some Experiences

• Managing a conference for an association and
  alumni working in the company led to Rs 20 M in
  aid for campus development.
• Impressed by quality of human resource taking up
  senior position, a textile concern donated Rs 7 M
  for campus.
• Negotiating with two Groups for Establishing a
  Center for Technology Innovation in collaboration
  with a leading group having 20 laboratories
  acting as conduit for experimentation and
  incubation.