HARNESSING UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY COLLABORATION THROUGH LIFELONG LEARNING EDUCATION
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Date
2014-02-14
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Widyatama International Seminar
Abstract
Strategic alliances play a major part in the strategic
set up of many firms. While this mode toconduct economic
activity has received increasing attention in the strategic
management literature, our understanding is still limited.
This paper aims to explore the strategic alliance between
university-industry relationships by focusing on the
experience of Open University Malaysia and its lifelong
learning strategic alliances. This paper reviews literatures
on allianceformation and management, governance of
alliances and dynamics of alliances.
The advantages and the challenges of interorganisational
collaboration are discussed. Thestrategic
alliances between organisations may reduce resource
redundancy and increase effective use of state fiscal,
physical, and personnel resources. More often than not,
policymakers are interested in using strategic alliances to
leverage change that is not attainable when institutions act
alone, especially when the desired changes span across
public sector institutions or across educational sectors. The
managerial advices suggested by the current literatures are
revisited in order to access the groundwork to address
alliance challenges and enhance their alliance capability.
This paper proposes that with an increasing number
of alliances firms are increasingly forced to develop
consistent practices within alliances and to coordinate
between these alliances. In the quest to develop a
knowledge based society, alliances between university and
industry are more pertinent as universities need to produce
the pool of talents with a set of specific skills required by
specific industries.
Open University Malaysia has forged strategic
alliances with many organisations, locally and abroad.
Open University Malaysia through its Institute of
Professional Development has forged with several national
bodies; Master Builders Association of Malaysia, Building
Management Association of Malaysia, Federation of
Malaysian Consumers Association, Malaysian Institute of
Human Resources Management, Institute of Public
Relations Malaysia, Malaysian Institute of Management,
Malaysian Financial Planning Council and the Malaysian
Institute of Estate Agents. These national bodies are
holding a pivotal role in shaping the industries in Malaysia.
Open University Malaysia is seen as a trendsetter in
the field of education, having brought to mainstream
attention the viability and benefits of the open or distant
learning approach. By harnessing this approach Open
University Malaysia has helped the scores of working individuals to upgrade their qualifications as its mission is
to make education accessible for all.
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Keywords
Strategic Alliances, Collaboration, Synergy, Governance, Lifelong Learning Education