International and Comparative Education| 2020-21

A Comparative Analysis of University-Industry

Linkage in Bangladesh and China

16 March 2021
Asif Bayezid | Zhuo Wang
 Apply the acquired
knowledge, skills
and attitude

University Education Job

Knowledge, Curriculum
Skills and
Attitude
Tom
Graduate Tom
Graduate Tom Job Guy
Sad Graduate Tom Job Guy
Unemployment

• Global unemployment rate in 2020: 6.5%

• Unemployment rate in Bangladesh: 4.3%
• 46% of the unemployed are university graduates! (ILO, 2018; ILO, 2020)
• “scarcity of working fields, mismatch between higher education institutions qualification and
market demand, lack of affiliation of HEI with work places and mass expansion of higher
education (HE) (Chowdhury, 2020)
University-Industry Linkage

Universit Industry
y

Curriculum
UIL is the bi-directional linkages between university and industry entities, “established to enable
the diffusion of creativity, ideas, skills and people with the aim of creating mutual value over time”

(Plewa and Quester, 2007, p. 371)

Relevant Theories and Frameworks
Underlying Theoretical Influences
• Neoliberal epistemology
Knowledge-based Economy
• Human Capital Theory
• Triple helix (Government-University-Industry) model
(Cai and Etzkowitz, 2020)
Need for University-Industry Linkage

• Innovation Research and Development

• Strategic Alliances and Technology Transfer
• Knowledge Transfer and Intellectual Property
• Entrepreneurial Universities and the Triple-helix

Mascarenhas, Ferreira and Marques, 2018

UIL and Graduate Employability
• Graduates from teaching-focused HEIs that collaborate with industries in a domain-specific manner, tend
to have more employable competencies.
(Borah, Malik and Massini, 2021)

• “…researchers commended the need to develop competency models for each occupation or job group so
as to define graduates’ successful performance in a particular work setting via their demonstrable
competencies…”
(Shewakena and Belay, 2017)

• Translating industry’s demands and requirements into WIL’s curriculum and intended learning outcomes
(ILOs)
(Nguyen, Tran, and Le, 2018)

• “…graduate employability can be improved through UIC as effective university-industry linkages provide
students with mentoring opportunities and exposure to relevant training which improves their job market
prospects and ultimately increases their professional relevance in the long run.”

(Aliu and Aigbavboa, 2020)

UIL Recommendations in Developing Countries
• Good practices include commercialization of knowledge, sustainable employability, rise in
entrepreneurship, and gaining tangible profit from skilled human resources as the best modality of
knowledge transfer.
(Mgonja, 2017)

“… UIC is essential for qualitative changes in the industry in one hand and university on the other.”
(Taher and Chowdhury, 2018)

• Policy reforms required to strengthen UIC in Sri Lanka

(Larsen et al., 2016)

• “… internships and particularly international ones, along with stipends are most pertinent, especially in
developing countries. Also important are joint projects, along with industrial involvement in curriculum
development.”

(Ashraf et al, 2018)

Tracer Study on University Graduates of Bangladesh
(BIDS, 2018)

• Objectives: to analyze the current economic and labor market outcomes of university graduates and
relevance of university education to the requirements of the labor market in Bangladesh.
• 36 universities, 82 departments, 1574 student respondents, 975 graduate surveys, 82 departmental heads, 154
employers
• Students do no acquire satisfactory skills required for the jobs through their university education
• Dissatisfactory job support service
• 38.6% unemployment among graduates, 5.77% self-employed
• 70% of the graduates out of labor market think that a proper training is needed in order for improving their
job market skills
• Majority of the fresh graduates may not have right information about the labor market, results in joining a
job out of discipline
• Academics and employers are aware of the importance and benefits UIC, but not taking place in reality
• Crude mention of UIL in the Strategic Plan for Higher Education in Bangladesh 2018-30
Bangladesh Preparing Youths for a Changing Economy
(World Bank, 2018)

Supply side issues for the workers

Supply side issues for the labour market
• Lack of updated job market information
• Higher order cognitive skills and soft skills missing
• Weak industry collaboration and participation
among graduates
• Inadequate capacity for curricular reform
• Overemphasis on theoretical knowledge create
• Dissatisfactory quality of teaching
severe lack of practical technical skills
• Lack of resources and quality assurance
• Impoverish foundational and ICT skills

Recommendations
• Deepen Partnership with Private Sector for Improving Quality and Relevance of Post-Secondary Education
• Establish In-service Training Programs for Industry Professionals at Post-Secondary Institutions
• Establish Specialized Skills and Research Partnership in Industrial Zones/Clusters with Post-Secondary
Institutions
Chinese Context: Difficulty in finding a satisfied job
• Increasing competition: An increased entrance number of higher education from 1999--- the increasing
number of university graduates to the market.
• Undergraduate employment rate decreased to 91% in 2018. Vocational college graduates employment
increase to 92%.
• undergraduates employed rate declined to73.6% , self-employed rate declined to 1.8%, further studying rate
up to 16.8%
• Graduates complaint that it’s difficult to find satisfied jobs.
• At the individual level, graduates’ employment is related to their own weak employability skills
• Weak professional competency
• The policy: The government encourages enterprises to employ graduates by providing allowance to
enterprises.

(Ministry of Human Resources, 2020; Su & Zhang, 2015)

 Why curriculum reform in university is needed?

• At the individual level, graduates’ employment is related to their own weak employability
skills
e.g. Lack of practice skill--- less student internship (China)
• Curriculum setting: academic and industrial development separate
• The curriculum is not connected with the industry--- Weak professional competency
e.g. In Chinese university, there is course about employment guidance, but it is theoretical
not practical.

(Xue, 2004; Ishengoma & Vaaland, 2016)

Similarities in UIL: Bangladesh and China
• Highly dense population  Limitation of resources

• Rate of unemployability
• Frustration in job market
• Promotion of internship
• Existence of UIL policy
Differences in UIL: Bangladesh and China
• China is the world’s largest exporter, Bangladesh is dependent on
imports in many ways
• China promotes vocational education which leads to technological
advancement and expansion of industries
• China has a higher literacy rate, which creates smoother gateways
towards further education (90.9% vs 56%)
• Unlike Bangladesh, China ensures more equitable access to HE
(51.6%)
• Chinese government has enacted UIL policy in the ‘70s
• Entrepreneurship is popular in China, Bangladeshi graduates feel risky
Questions for discussion
• What is the status of university-industry linkage in your country?
• Do you find any employment problem for graduates in your country?
Do you think UIL can play a positive role in it?
• Is there practical course in your university curriculum?
• Do you think that universities should not walk the neo-liberal path?