Kevin X Murphy (President and CEO of JE Austin Associates) presents the 10 bridges connecting innovation ecosystem players in Viet Nam. Bridge 1: Student Job Placement & Career Support Bridge 2: Alumni Programs Bridge 3: Executive Education & Lifelong Learning Bridge 4A: Industry-Funded Research & Commercialization Bridge 4B: Commercialization of Research Bridge 5: Industry Consulting Bridge 6: Definition and Measurement of Skills Standards Bridge 7: On-Site Training, Internships & Apprenticeships Bridge 8: Industry Responsive Curriculum & Training Bridge 9: Regular Demand-Side Assessments & “Gap Analysis” Surveys Bridge 10: Entrepreneurship Centers

1. 10 Bridges
For Innovation and Entrepreneurship inVietnam
Kevin X Murphy

2. It’s a Global Problem:
• There is a disconnect between the rapidly
evolving needs of the private sector and the
traditional delivery of vocational training
institutions
• They are like separate islands with separate
cultures
• But we can build at least 10 Bridges to
connect them
2
Problem: Industry and Academia - Islands Apart?

3. Technological:
• Accelerating pace of technology
• Skills and knowledge are quickly obsolete
• Social media is evolving rapidly
Economic:
• Globalization
• Countries Changing Policy
Institutional and Cultural:
• Education and training providers responds to
government funding
• Educational culture tends to be conservative and to
change only slowly
3
Reasons for the Disconnect

4. 4
How do the 10 BridgesWork?
Diagnostic Tool
Determines how well-
connected industries are
to their education &
training providers
Ongoing Engagement
Convenes industry and
university leadership and
elicits confidence and
cooperation
Practical Initiatives
Identifies specific
initiatives and gives
concrete examples
Strategy Framework
Offers a
comprehensive set of
strategic options

5. Pros:
• Failure to place students is like building a
bridge 90% of the way, letting people fall into
the river rather than reach the other shore
• Failure to measure placement means you can’t
manage it
• Robust placement programs makes a
university administration more attentive to
the real needs of those hiring
• Provides one “bridge” linking industries with
their education and training providers
• Encourages greater relevancy from
educational institutions
Cons:
• Requires serious effort and funding
• May distract students in recruitment season
How:
• Require all public universities to track and
post placement rates at graduation and 6
months and 12 months after graduation
• Rank all universities by placement rates
• Support students in getting jobs prior to
graduation and throughout their subsequent
careers by:
o Forming networks of support and
consultation by industry and region and
with other alumni
o Post job opportunities
o Bring employers to campus to interview
o Put resources behind this critical function
5
Bridge 1: Student Job Placement & Career Support

6. Career Education Office
• Promotes Lifelong Support
• Creates Networks for Students
• Programs available:
o Networking database, career fairs,
alumni mentoring, company visits, job
shadowing
• Mentoring Services:
o Career coaches,
o Industry-specific meet-ups
6
Student Job Placement Programs
USA – Stanford University

7. 7
Student Job Placement Programs
Asia – Singapore University of Technology & Design
• Organizes two Industry Nights in
September and October
• Hiring managers and CEOs attend
• Industry Nights typically draw around
95 companies and many alumni
• Over 200 students benefit each time

8. 8
Bridge 2:Alumni Programs
Pros:
• Increases visibility of university
• Potential for alumni-sponsored
scholarships and increased
funding/donations
Cons:
• No way to guarantee alumni
involvement.
How:
• Create alumni clubs within the
country.
• Provide networking events or
“alumni-student meet-ups” when
possible.

9. 9
Alumni Programs:
USA – University of Michigan
• Ranks #1 in alumni involvement
o Largest active alumni representation
o Alumni clubs in nearly every major
city in the country and worldwide
• Different types of alumni engagement
o Employment sector, companies, etc.
• Sponsored events: career workshops,
university-sponsored banquets

10. 10
Bridge 3: Executive Education & Lifelong Learning
Pros:
• Provides income to universities
• Connects faculty and workforce
o Exposes them to the practical needs of
business
• Cross-subsidizes and improves degree
programs
• Helps professors adapt their content
Cons:
• Competition in university resources
• Competition with training institutes
How:
• Professors share resources from
degreed programs with exec
education
• “Train to specification" model
o Industries or companies agree to hire
certain number from that institute,
and certify skills and knowledge

11. 11
Executive Education & Lifelong Learning
USA – Kenan-Flagler Business School (UNC)
• Ranked inTop 10 by four different agencies
• Five MBA programs:
oExecutive MBA designed for working
professionals
oEvening MBA
oWeekend MBA
oGlobal One MBA
oGlobal partnership with four international
business schools

12. 12
Bridge 4A: Industry-Funded Research
& Commercialization
Pros:
• Focuses efforts on industry priorities
• Financial research needs can be modest
• Creates revenue streams for the
university
Cons:
• Immediate value may not be proven
• Potential time conflicts for faculty
researchers
How:
• Professors teach what they are paid to
research
• Private sector provides research
contracts
• Establishes a research unit and clear
policies
• Universities encourage useful patents
and publications
o Create research liaison offices
Defines policies that create
"win-win-win" scenarios for the
university, faculty and the private
sector

13. 13
Industry Funded Research
USA – Johns Hopkins University
• Signed 183 agreements and 400 patents (2012)
• Every school/department has its own research proposal
staff
• Nearly 40% of its payroll involved in grants
• Three primary funding administration offices:
o Office of Research Administration
o Office of Sponsored Projects
o Industry Liaison Office
• Largest sponsors:
o Associations:Alzheimer’s Association,American Cancer
Society,American Heart Association
o Companies: DuPont, IBM, 3M, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer

14. 14
Bridge 4B: Commercialization of Research
Pros:
• Create alternative revenue streams for
the university
• Increased publicity for the university
• Increased linkages between the university
and industries
Cons:
• Monetary value may not
How:
• Establish a research unit and clear
policies
• Universities encourage useful patents
and publications
o Create research liaison offices
Defines policies that create
"win-win-win" scenarios for
the university, faculty and the
private sector.

15. 15
Commercialization of Research
USA – University of California Berkeley
• Office of Intellectual Property and Industrial
Research Alliances (IPIRA) is the liaison for
Berkeley researchers, resources, and
technologies.
o Helps researchers develop patents, sign
contracts, and form business plans
oSigned contracts with over 800 companies like
BP, Pfizer, Cisco Systems
o170 startups formed; 2,000 patents signed

16. 16
Commercialization of Research
Vietnam – Hanoi University of Science and
Technology (HUST)
• BK Holdings manages IP, other assets and
works to close the gap between academia and
businesses
o Network of partners includes universities, SMEs,
and major corporations
• BK Fund formed (first venture capital fund in
Vietnam to belong to a university)
o Mission: to be a foundation for start-up projects
and a bridge between scientific products,
learning, and technology in universities and
businesses
o Alumni Investor Fund is now also being created

17. 17
Bridge 5: Industry Consulting
Pros:
• Help professors stay current with
private sector
• Additional monetary benefits to
professors
Cons:
• Some universities fear faculty
consulting will detract from teaching
and research functions.
How:
• Universities clarify allowable days per
year, and time allotment within those
days
• Universities can define consulting rates
and “take-away” pay for professors

18. 18
Industry Consulting
USA – Carnegie Mellon
• Full-time tenure track faculty: one day
per week
oTypically adds 21% of additional
income to base salary
• Negotiated between faculty member
and Head of Department

19. 19
Bridge 6: Definition and Measurement
of Skills Standards
Pros:
• Curricula is designed to guarantee high
passing rates in industry certification
exams
Cons:
• Students might still be required to take
competency exam classes simply to
pass.
How:
• Industries prepare
oStandardized skill categories
oSkills-based competency levels
• Universities and industries partner in
creating coursework
• Universities encourage faculty to
participate in test-making
organizations, when applicable

20. 20
Definition and Measurement of Skills USA –
University ofTexas at Austin
McCombs School of Business and Accounting
• Ranked #1 by four different agencies
• Possesses 77% passing rate on the Certified
Public Accountant exam
o(State average of 54%, National average of
47%)
oHow? Graduation requirements align with
CPA exam
oHow? Active faculty representation in the
test-making organization, the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants

21. 21
Bridge 7:On-SiteTraining, Internships,
& Apprenticeships
Pros:
• Can boost student resumes, help network,
lead to a job and provide experience
• Low-cost and low-risk method to assess
potential hires
Cons:
• When unpaid students may not apply or
continue amidst academic pressures
• Requires good time management
How:
• Create structured internship programs,
periods and mutual commitments
• Create Career Centers (see Bridge 1)
• E-mail internship opportunities to
students and graduates
• Hold annual internship fairs

22. 22
On-SiteTraining
USA – Cornell University
• Corporate Engagement Office
o Signed MOUs with over 600 companies
o Company-sponsored internships, career fairs
• Deans initiate conversations with companies,
corporations, and foundations
• One school is also a functioning hotel with
three restaurants providing 800 hours of
practice hours in the hospitality industry—
internships without leaving campus!

23. 23
Bridge 8: Industry Responsive Curriculum
&Training
Pros:
• Improves relevance of curriculum
• Introduces new content
• Encourages improvement in teaching
techniques
• Involves private sector
Cons:
• There may be differences between private
sector needs and higher education
priorities
How:
• Structure formal curriculum review with
leadership from leading employers of
graduates
• Involve the industry associations in
curriculum review
• Monitor effectiveness and satisfaction (see
Bridge 10)
• Encourage and even subsidize faculty
membership in relevant industry
associations and participation in relevant
conferences

24. 24
Industry-Responsive Curriculum andTraining
USA – GeorgiaTech
• Cooperative & project-based learning
• Designed based on industry input
• Active (and subsidized) faculty
participation in industry-wide engineering
conferences
• Industry-sponsored startup labs, design
projects, and capstone projects
• University-funded certification exams

25. 25
Industry-Responsive Curriculum
China –Tsinghua University
• Ranked #1 among Chinese Universities
and 26th globally
• Demonstrates ability to respond
dynamically to evolving industry demand
• Responded to industry demand by creating
some13 Masters Programs in English:
o Global Manufacturing
o International Construction
o Project Management:
o Public Health Program (IMPH)

26. 26
Bridge 9: Regular Demand-Side Assessments
& “Gap Analysis” Surveys
Pros:
• Provides structured feedback to
universities regarding quality and
relevance of programs and skills of
graduates
• Identifies new job demand
• Pinpoints gaps in skills
• Always current
Cons:
• Requires consistent time and effort
How:
• Design a well-crafted survey
• Implement effectively using rigorous survey
techniques
• Publish survey results
• Convene focus groups to make sense of the
data and brainstorm appropriate responses
• Include future demand for specific jobs,
feedback on quality of preparation of
graduates and effectiveness of current
programs

27. 27
Demand-Side Assessments
and “Gap Analysis” Surveys
USA – IBM
• IBM Analytics Talent Assessment
• Online questionnaire enables students to gauge their
readiness
• Universities collaborating with IBM in revising curricula:
o Fordham University
o George Washington University
o Illinois Institute of Technology
o University of Massachusetts Boston
o Northwestern University
o Ohio State University
o Southern Methodist
University
o University ofVirginia.

28. 28
Bridge 10: Entrepreneurship Centers
Benefits:
• Encourages entrepreneurship and
innovation
• Entrepreneurs may employ graduates
Challenge:
• May set unrealistic expectations or
cause frustration (entrepreneurship is
harder than it looks)
How:
• Entrepreneurship training
• Accelerators
• Incubators
• Site visits
• Connections with “Angel Investors”
and Venture Capital
• Bring successful entrepreneurs to
give motivational lectures to
students

29. 29
Entrepreneurship Center
USA – Babson College’s Arthur M. Blank Center for
Entrepreneurship
• Designed to teach students how to lead change,
solve global problems, and create sustainable value
• Six core leadership principles: Put People First,
Listen and Respond, Include Everyone, Innovate
Continuously, Lead by Example, Give Back to
Others
• Entrepreneurial LeadershipVillage (ELV)—both
physical and virtual place—where people around
the world come together to learn, collaborate, and
take action

30. 30
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center
Switzerland – University of St. Gallen’s Global Center
for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Serves as a hub for fostering entrepreneurial thinking
and innovation on a global scale, connecting students,
researchers, and industry leaders
• Offers a comprehensive array of programs, including
incubators, accelerators, and mentorship opportunities,
enabling aspiring entrepreneurs to transform their ideas
into successful ventures while promoting a culture of
innovation within the university and its broader
ecosystem.
• Provides practical engagements with industry and
policymakers including professional development series
“On Neutral Grounds”

31. 1. How many of these 10 bridges currently function well in your university or industry?
2. Which bridges could be strengthened or even introduced to your university
3. Can the relevant industries be encouraged to help?
4. Is the faculty and administration open to improving the relevance of university
programs?
5. Can the Ministry of Education guide the universities by requiring the tracking of
student placement and posting this annually?
6. Can universities elicit international funding and technical assistance to achieve these
10 Bridges?
31
Getting Started: Self-Assessment Questions

32. Score your university-industry – how many working bridges?
Score 8-10 =
Suspension Bridge
32

33. Score 6-7=
Scheduled Ferry Boat
33

34. Score 4-5=
Canoe
34

35. Score 1-3=
Message in a Bottle
35

36. 36
More Bridges Are Being Built All theTime:
A Dynamic and EvolvingTool

37. THANKYOU

38. 38
BACKUP SLIDES

39. Where HasThisWorked?
Examples form the USA
39

40. Where HasThisWorked?
Examples from East Asia
(Singapore, China, Philippines)
40

41. 41
Appendix
Good Practices of Innovation Center
in Universities in Viet Nam
A study conducted by USAID Workforce for an Innovation and Start-up
Ecosystem (WISE) project

42. Foreign Trade University’s Innovation and Incubation Space (FIIS): Securing
support and commitment of the leadership of the university
FTU FIIS
2021-40 1960 2017
Project 1665
Innovative
university
Vision, missions, core
values, and
development
strategy during 2021-
2030 and vision to
2040
FTU
Leaders
Trust
Support
FIIS
Effective
Quality
Good programs for:
Students
Teachers and staff of FTU
Businesses and others
FTU wants each teacher, staff
and student to dare to
innovate, know how to
innovate and be ready to
foster innovations

43. Hanoi University of Science & Technology: BK Holdings
Technologies
startup ideas
training on
entrepreneurs
hip
Infrastructure
Market
opportunities
Mobilize resources of the
government, organizations,
individuals, and foreign and local
enterprises to commercialize
technology and science-based
products of the university.
Market
- Services
- Products
- Clients
- Investors
- Profit
- Staff
- Resources
- Partners
- etc.
12-Nov-23 43

44. Holdings company, investment fund, and incubator
Other components
of the ecosystem
National
innovation
projects
(1665, 844 etc.)
Private sector
and partners
Donor projects
(IPP, Swiss EP
etc.)
Enterprise in Univeristy
- Limited resources
- Financial
independence
- Market mechanism –
services and products
- Sharp, agile, and neat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTVlRExjpps&t=70s

45. Hue University: Leveraging Public Resources
Needs of the
university, market,
and ecosystem
Objectives of
national projects,
programs and
agencies
Proposal for
financing and
support
Support and
direction of the
leaders of Hue
University
Staff of CEI
Effective implementation and
inclusion of external resources
12-Nov-23 45

46. Hue University: Leveraging Public Resources
Project 844: 5 projects (X-
mentor, Lab to life, TOT,
training for startup
supporters, Capacity
building on innovation for
other universities in the
region)
Innovation and
startup ecosystem
in Hue University -
SV Startup 2022
Enterprises and development
projects: SME mentoring one
on one, local business
association, Swiss EP, WISE
etc.
Project
1665
Support for developing high
tech enteprises in Hue.
Training on innovation for
Quang Nam. Developing
OCOP products for
provinces in central part
(MARD), NIC etc.
12-Nov-23 46

47. Nguyen Tat Thanh University: Mobilizing resources from
enterprises in support of startups and innovation
Mentors Judges
Investors,
sponsors
Purchasers
Enterprise club, mentor networks, business groups, alumni, partners of university
Guest speakers
Incubators
12-Nov-23 47