News
University-industry links key to economic growth: CHED chief
Commission on Higher Education Chairman J. Prospero de Vera III (left) and Alison Barrett, British Council Director for Education and Society in East Asia, during the United Kingdom-East Asia University Partnerships for Industry Engagement Regional Policy Forum in Pasay City on Thursday.
(Photo by Ma. Teresa Montemayor via PNA)
MANILA — Collaboration between higher education institutions and industries is vital in attaining economic growth, an official of the Commissioner on Higher Education (CHED) said on Thursday.
In his speech at the United Kingdom-East Asia University Partnerships for Industry Engagement Regional Policy Forum in Pasay City, CHED chair J. Prospero de Vera III said students would benefit from university-industry linkages and make them competitive.
De Vera said through this partnership, higher education institutions would be updated with industry trends and demands of the sector, and skills are enhanced in programs that would prepare students to join the labor market. This would address the prevalence of jobs-skills mismatch in the country.
“One of the foundations that facilitates university-industry linkages in Philippine context is the presence of faculty and staff who are highly competent and deeply engaged in research and innovation. Today, only 60 percent of full-time faculty have graduate degrees, among them only 20 percent are engaged in research at least on a part-time basis,” he said.
Faculty members are sent to pursue graduate studies here and abroad through partnerships with selected universities in the Philippines and United Kingdom which promote transnational education development, de Vera said.
“CHED, in partnership with the British Council, has been helping Filipino students and faculty members through expanded scholarships to joint degree programs and research. This expands to university partnerships for industry engagement which is a step ensuring the Duterte administration’s promise of sustainable human capital,” he said.
Alison Barrett, British Council Director for Education and Society in East Asia, said stronger links with the industry enable the youth worldwide to build skills and connections.
“These are the social and economic capital they need to access better employment opportunities. Add an international dimension to the mix and the opportunities for growing intellectual understanding and related competencies can help to build truly global citizens,” she added.
The forum is part of a series of interconnected activities supporting higher education internalization through focused discussions.
Close to 80 university engagement managers, researchers, policy-makers, and innovation and entrepreneurship managers across Asia attended the forum.
“We hope, depending on the discussions, there could be mutual recognition of degrees, how our degrees can be aligned. We need that for other Filipinos working in other countries so their degree programs will have value for their work, career advancement,” de Vera said.
