The British Council in the Philippines and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) jointly hosted the first Regional Policy Forum on University Links for Industry Engagement on 7 March 2019, at Conrad Manila to discuss the importance of government-industry-university linkages for economic growth.
“There is great potential across governments and universities to work on documenting and assessing the contribution of university-industry linkages, and even of universities in general, to the economy of each country,” Dr J. Prospero De Vera, Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said.
The forum provided a platform for attending university engagement managers, researchers and policymakers from East Asia to lay the groundwork on government-industry-university links in the region. The forum an in-depth discussion of university-industry interactions, partnership models and potential collaborations with business enterprises.
“Stronger links with industry enable our young people to build much-needed and relevant skills and connections – the social and economic capital they need to access better employment opportunities.” Alison Barrett, British Council’s Director for Education and Society in East Asia, said in her speech.
There has been a growing interest from East Asia on the role of universities as drivers of innovation for economic growth, thus creating an impetus for a more integrated government-industry-university ecosystem.
Through the UK-East Asia Higher Education Partnerships Programme, the British Council brings the best practices of the UK to East Asian countries, including the Philippines, to help improve the quality and impact of research and innovation in the higher education sector and support the internationalisation of higher education.