Education-industry partnerships vital
Written by New Straits Times Thursday, 12 May 2011 07:48
IT is no longer enough for Malaysian higher educational institutions to focus on their traditional roles of education and research.
They are expected to expand their roles by engaging businesses and industry, and cooperate in initiatives that can contribute to the nation's economy.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also education minister, highlighted these points - the importance of making education relevant to society - in his keynote address at the two-day Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Conference of Ministers of Education which started on Monday.
Titled "Engaging Business and Industry in Education", Muhyiddin's speech was presented during the first plenary session at the ASEM conference, which is held every two years.
ASEM is an informal process of dialogue and co-operation bringing together the 27 European Union member states and the European Commission with 16 Asian countries and the Asean Secretariat.
"As universities are recognised as a nation's economic and intellectual engines contributing to local and regional growth, they are expected to play a key role in providing a skilled workforce, innovation and knowledge exchange as well as raise the education level of citizens," he said.
Muhyiddin acknowledged, however, that the forging of academia-industry alliances can be challenging, but urged for both to work towards reducing the obstacles.
"Universities and industry are driven by different incentive systems - universities are primarily driven to create new knowledge and to educate, whereas industry and businesses are focused on capturing valuable knowledge that can be leveraged for competitive advantage.
"This is compounded by the fact that collaboration between universities and the industry is voluntary."
Nevertheless, Muhyiddin was confident that partnerships could still be formed, maintained and sustained with clear leadership, understanding and long term policy commitments from the education sector and government, among other things.
He outlined several areas universities and the industry could work together on.
"The industry can contribute towards university initiatives in the establishment of endowment chairs that leapfrog research in specific areas of expertise. This will ultimately drive education, research and service that can contribute to community development."
Another example, he pointed out, was collaboration in continuing education.
"Universities have the capacity to provide consultancy and conduct training in topics of interest for the industry.
"Industry and businesses, on their part, can reciprocate by opening their doors to undergraduates for industrial training in preparation for their eventual entry into the labour market."
Muhyiddin told participants that the Malaysian government recognised the need for engaging businesses and industry in education and was vigorously promoting academic-industry tie-ups.
But he underscored that such collaborations should not just be confined to a nation, but rather carried out on an international scale.
The deputy prime minister also announced that Malaysia would be hosting the fourth ASEM Conference of Ministers of Education in 2013.
"We are proud to host the important meeting. It will enable the country to play an important role on the global stage in education."
Malaysia won in a bid against China to be host.
Muhyiddin left for Paris, France after presenting the keynote address to attend a meeting of Unesco's executive board.
