How to Improve Relation Between Industry and University in Engineering Sciences
Shahin Alavitalab, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran polytechnic) (Iran, Islamic Republic of)
Abstract
“If university and industry are able to find useful cooperation there is hardly any problem that could not be solved,” said Alfred P. Sloan Jr. This paper deals with the design of a special structured study program that leads to the implementation of this wise sentence. In spite of the fact that university and industry have different missions, they need each other because their cooperation is very prosperous for both. Prosperous cooperation needs to introduce a system in a study program to overcome existing barriers because human initiative acts only in certain cases and for a short time. The special tool could be a module in a study program that is based on the participation of both sides – academic and practice, science and application. One example of this is the POP Study (Project Oriented Program). Students are educated on a project based in reality to get to know the endless depth of knowledge in scientific disciplines as well as the width of tasks in implementation periods. The POP Study could be realized as a POP module inserted in existing study programs.