Developing World Class People for Facing Future Challenges through University-Industry Partnership.

SUB THEME:

1. How can CO-OP be the right vehicle for developing World-Class people?

2. How Can Digital Opportunity Contribute to CO-OP Development in the Developing Countries?

3. Enhancing University-Industry partnership through successful CO-OP implementation.

4. International CO-OP as a means to develop global training.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To promote CO-OP in the Asia Pacific region

2. To Exchange best practice on partnership program implementation among higher learning institutions and industry

3. To build networks among professionals in partnership program implementation

4. To promote International CO-OP.

Sub Theme 1:

Human resources development is an ongoing process with the next biggest challenge being the development of qualified professional. In an effort to develop a quality human resources, there are many ways to achieve this objective. One way is thru the Cooperative Education Program. The program offers students the chance to combine classroom theoretical knowledge with real hands on experience in the industry. Along with being given job assignments, guided by industry professionals, students are also provided with opportunity to attend various training which they don’t get that in their campus.
The Coop Program benefits students in many ways. The assignment is long enough for the students to decide if they have made the correct career decision and helps them in finding the right career path.  

The introduction of the Coop Program has seen a means to create potential leaders in the future. The program manages not only to benefit all parties involved but also support the nation wide effort to reduce the shortage of qualified professional.  
 

The development of internet technology and the liberalization of the market have led to the unprecedented use of the technology in all activities of people’s live including education. This session will explore how to maximize the use of internet technology within the New Economy Era to enhance the value of people specifically in the developing countries. The focus on the developing countries stem from the facts that a wider technological gap has resulted in a wider gap of opportunity to enhance the wealth and prosperity of a nation. Keynote speech will be delivered by Cisco CEO/Dell CEO who already shown commitment to focus on the development of a New World in general and in education in particular. Local top notch speakers will be delivered by Prof. Tilaar and Lippo’s Chairman Mr. Mochtar Ryadi.
 

CO-OP is the very first step toward a more enhanced partnership program between university and industry. A good implementation of CO-OP program will create further partnership programs between both of them.
Through feedbacks from CO-OP students and feedbacks from the industry, universities will get more information how to develop their academic education program to match with the needs of the business community. What kinds of facilities are needed to cope with the current business environment? For example, what needs to be prepared due to the impact of globalization to the students?
The industry community will also start to work together with universities to enhance research and development programs especially for applied sciences.
In some short duration projects some times there is opportunity for both of them to work hand in hand to seek for this golden opportunity.
There must be ample examples of partnership program implementation between university and industry as a result from a good arrangement of CO-OP programs. The initiative can be generated either from the industries or from the universities.
 

Many WACE member countrieshave been focusing their effort for a quite long period on the development of cooperative education at the national level. Some countries have even been very successful in developing CO-OP within their respective territory. However, if we want to bring our young preprofessionals to face new international challenges, we must start finding means to train them to gain experience in industries outside their country. International CO-OP is an effective way togiveour young people to have international experience and face international challenges in our new century. International CO-OP will also give them the opportunity to be familiar with and beat ease in living within cross-cultural situations. International CO-OP is a way to develop "global training" for our new generation. The question is: how do we implement International CO-OP in order to establish in the long run a solid network of "global university-industry cooperation" in the field of education and produce internationally qualified people. The conference is expected to answer this challenge.