The MOST has in cooperation with the Chambers of Commerce & Industry established a National Level Institute-Industry partnership Committee. The committee will develop strategies and long-term plans toward an effective S&T policy to move the country to Newly Industrialized Country status early in the next millennium. In addition it will prepare a framework that will provide the basis for the institutionalization of this partnership.

The National Level Institute-Industry Partnership Committee has shown much enthusiasm for his cooperative venture and has proposed the establishment of an effective secretariat for the committee which can act as a core group taking initiatives for promoting linkages. For a start the committee has agreed to focus on the eleven actions listed below.

• University Teachers to be released to Industry to work for limited periods
• Industrial Scientists and Technologists work at Universities and R&D Centres for specific periods and return to Industry.
• Postgraduate Research Projects at Universities to be based on Industry requirements and Industrial problems.
• Emerging Scientific/Technical problems of Industry to be referred to the Universities and R&D centres on a regular basis.
• An information system to be established for this purpose
• Industrial assignments for faculty and students to be arranged.
• Universities and R&D Centres to engage in collaborative activities with Industry such as contract research, combined research programmes etc.
• University curricula to be based on industry needs. For this purpose formalized arrangements to be made.
• Industrial visits to be arranged for University students and staff
• Technology Watch service
• Technology Transfer
• Career guidance (with industry assistance) for university students

Expected Benefits

In S&T Institutions it is expected that these project inputs will result in :

• Curricula revision and improved teaching through industry participation making future graduates more suitable to the needs of local industry
• The establishment of postgraduate courses and courses for continuing professional development to serve industry University research aligned to the needs of local industries and persons from industry serving as supervisors for research projects of postgraduate students
• University staff undertaking consultancy work for industry

In R&D Centres the project inputs are expected to :

1. Shift the orientation of R&D work to industry based requirements with practical applications:
2. Disseminate rapidly to industry the results of local R&D work
3. Study technologies useful to local industries available globally and advise the relevant industries
4. Provide entrepreneurial and enterprise-oriented training for the optimization of resources already in place and to place greater emphasis on cost recovery and income generation
5. Enhance provision of R&D services, consultancies and testing facilities to Industry
6. Promote exchange of personnel between the Centres and Industry