University bridges academia with industry
QUEST International University Perak’s (QIU) commitment to produce industryrelevant engineering graduates took a positive turn when the university sealed deals with several manufacturing giants such as Salutica Allied Solutions on the new curriculum.
The agreements will see QIU and key industry players working together to develop and implement an academicindustrial hybrid programme that will produce competent, employable engineers.
Under the programme, the new breed of QIU undergraduates will enjoy 40 weeks of industrial attachment across their four-year programme. This will include 10 weeks in Year 1 and Year 2 respectively, as well as 20 weeks in Year 3.
Due to this early continuous exposure and engagement with the experts, the university’s budding engineers will get the chance to sharpen their hands-on skills while being moulded by the industry.
QIU’s students studying for the Bachelor of Electronics Engineering (Communication) with Honours and Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering with Honours will start this programme in April 2020.
“This programme is one of many industrial collaborations that the university has carried out. QIU believes in giving our students the industry-relevant skills and training that allows them to make an immediate impact in their companies,” said chief operating officer Nicholas Goh.
“They should be moulded into impactful employees without retraining – a process which costs valuable time and money.”
Goh said the hybrid curriculum would also allow QIU’s students to keep pace with industry changes that evolved at breakneck speed.
“This programme increases the chances of retaining talent in Perak. Students will be familiar with their respective companies and this will increase their chances of being hired by these companies, instead of looking for unfamiliar jobs elsewhere,” he added.
Salutica Allied Solutions deputy chief executive officer Joshua Lim is a staunch believer that industry needs to work with academia in order to fulfil both partners’ needs while also grooming talent for Perak’s industries.
“By having technology manufacturing and facilities in Perak, we also provide employment for people here. Students don’t have to go all the way to Kuala Lumpur and Penang to find jobs in the hi-tech sector,” Lim explained.
“We have noticed a gap between what academic institutions produce and what the industry needs. A lot of time and effort is spent on training fresh graduates and bring them up to pace,” he said.
“It’s vital that we engage early with educational institutions such QIU to bridge this gap.”