KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — Higher education institutions (IPTs) are advised to be receptive to suggestions from industry players when formulating their academic syllabus.

PKT Logistic Group Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Seri Micheal Tio said with their better insights into the development of their respective sectors, industry leaders may assist IPTs in preventing mismatches between academic syllabuses and the actual needs of industries, ensuring higher employability for graduates.

“It is important for industry players to be consulted in the curriculum review. This can ensure that the IPTs can supply future graduates that meet our needs.

“The same goes in the field of research. IPTs should focus on research topics that are relevant and needed by industries. Researchers need to understand that they should be doing research on what the industry wants to know now,” he said.

He said this when appearing as a panellist at the “Pendekatan Baharu Program Pemindahan dan Pemindahan Ilmu dalam Membangunkan Negara, Industri dan Komuniti” forum during the Higher Education Ministry Strategic Discourse here.

Tio said the collaboration between industry and academia could be enhanced through the involvement of industry leaders in the academic advisory board of IPTs and by providing senior lecturers with exposure to or training on the inner workings of the industries.

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) vice-chancellor Prof Mazlan Abd Ghaffar, said in the same forum that IPTs and industry players should adopt the approach taken by other developed nations in terms of sharing innovations and product developments.

“The important thing is to figure out how to assimilate knowledge available at universities into companies in order to sustain social innovation for the benefit of the people and country during these challenging times,” he said. — Bernama