Sponsorship Works: Study of the Perceptions of Students, Employers, and Academics of Industrial Sponsorship

University–industry teaching collaborations: a case study of the MSc in Structural Integrity co-produced by Brunel University London and The Welding Institute

“…However, far fewer thought that compared with other students from similar MSc courses, it would provide students with a better chance of employment (27%). This may be because, contrary to the findings of previous literature (Soltani, Twigg, and Dickens 2013), for supervisors the primary purpose of the university-industry collaborative course was not for students to find employment, with just 20% of supervisors viewing this MSc as beneficial for providing the necessary skills for future employment and 40% believing that students will have increased employability by the end of the course. Rather, 93% viewed the added benefit of the course as providing students with research experience in an industry setting, 60% saw long-term benefits as advancing student careers, and 53% pursuing a PhDthe latter aligning with the fact that 50% of students were considering a PhD on commencement of the MSc (see Tables 1, 2 and 4).…”

“…Some students found that industry supervisors were, on occasion, relatively busy: a point noted previously about internship supervisors (Bukaliya 2012). Thus, while the design of the MSc demonstrates Brunel's and TWI's strong commitment to university-industry collaboration (Wakeling 2015, 77), others have noted the need to balance such collaborations to ensure that both parties receive sustainable benefits (Soltani, Twigg, and Dickens 2013). Our findings highlight the general industry effort required to maintain similar courses and high supervisory standards, and prompt questions about course sustainability more broadly.…”

“…Students felt that while the course was not the only degree of its kind, '[No other courses] had the diverse range of topics that we are studying … we cover all aspects of what TWI work on'. The TWI link ensured modules were related to industry ('more industry relevant knowledge') allowing students to 'learn about the nature of the work', and acquire the soft skills related to 'what life is like as an engineer' (Soltani, Twigg, and Dickens 2013).…”

“…Drawing on pre-and post-course student and supervisor surveys, mid-course student surveys and focus groups, the paper analyses student and industry supervisor experiences of the MSc. In so doing, the paper provides information on the co-delivered MSc, identifies barriers to university-industry collaboration (Bruneel, D'Este, and Salter 2010) and adds to an existing body of research exploring student and industry experiences and expectations of student work-placements (Soltani, Twigg, and Dickens 2013).…”

Enhancing Engineering Competencies Curricula in the Context of University-Industry Chairs

“…In this sense, the university-industry chairs represent one of the best frameworks to design specific activities throughout the engineering degrees that can take place both at the university and in the companies' own facilities and that can be carried out with the collaboration of the engineers of these companies [5], [6]. Chairs can also be particularly beneficial for companies, as these initiatives:…”