University-Industry collaboration project
Objective
The objective of this proposal is to develop a long-term collaborative relationship between Graduate School of Management Research Center, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and a business association/organisation (e.g. Small and Medium-sized Enterprices (SME) Centre, MIM, FMM, The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM), etc.).
Background
The Scope of the collaboration
The scope of collaborations includes (but not limited to) the followings:
1. Research and Development (R&D),
2. Funding, Information Exchange, and Advisory services,
3. Training, Consultation and Human Resource Development
The Ways of the collaboration
The Research Centre can contribute in the following ways:
(a) To provide expertise in joint-research projects
(b) To provide places and facilities for off-the-job training
(c) To provide information (as well as advisory services) on government research funding and allocation, training support, standard and guidelines, latest industrial and business related policies, etc.
(d) To conduct training for managers from industries.
(e) To allow managers or employees for official visits, requests for information, and seek advice from academics
The association (individual managers) can contribute in the following ways:
(a) To provide places and facilities for research and relevant field work
(b) To provide places and facilities for on-the-job training
(c) To provide information on current business environment
(d) To share (feedback) experiences, skills and knowledge in the management of businesses and technology.
(e) To allow students for official industrial visits and be exposed to the actual operations
Beneficiaries
Through collaboration, both the Research Centre in UPM and the association can benefit in the following ways:
§ The University will gain high industrial accessibility, testing ground for research, places and facilities for R&D and training purposes. Moreover, this will ensure the industrial-relevance of the research outputs. An industrial-relevance research will definitely benefit the industry and the country.
§ The association (included individual managers) will gain government funding and support, the university technical and managerial knowledge transfer, update of the latest development in technology and management methods. In a long run, this will also help to transform Malaysian companies and SMEs into global players.
Justification
1. Industrial-relevant: Research work as well as teaching in UPM can be more relevant to practices
2. Applied research: Research in management is very practical oriented, unlike testing work in a laboratory, management research need a substantial fieldwork.
3. Economy and world competition: In line with the government policy, UPM can help to improve the economy by helping SMEs from research, funding, and training perspectives
4. Research center: It will help to strengthen UPM and SMEs expertise in the areas of management
5. Technology transfer: SMEs will benefit from new knowledge transfer from the university
6. Funding: SMEs will benefit from government funding as well as other support
7. Activities and networking: through collaboration, many activities could be organized such as seminars, talks, short courses, industrial visits, etc. which will enhance networking between academics and the industries.
Suggestion
To begin, it is suggested that the collaboration is limited to a certain areas rather than an extensive work. UPM will organize a number of training workshops, or short courses for managers from industries or members of the association. The managers or executives are encouraged to participate. Both parties will study the possibilities to develop further relationships and work out possible collaboration in future.
Prepared by,
Dr Yee Choy Leong
Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Tel.: 03-8946 7731
Fax: 03-8948 6188
e-mail: yee@econ.upm.edu.my
