Partnerships between higher education institutions and industry – the IUC’s experience

1. Partnerships between higher education institutions and industry – the IUC’s experience
Stanislav Ivanov, Ph. D.
Academic Director
Gergana Dimitrova, Ph.D.
EU Projects Coordinator
International University College
3 Bulgaria Str., 9300 Dobrich, Bulgaria

2. Partnerships between higher education institutions and industry – the IUC’s experience
Partnerships between higher education institutions and industry in Bulgaria
The IUC’s experience

3. Partnerships between higher education institutions and industry in Bulgaria
A “Chinese wall” exists between the two sectors with limited partnership
Directions of partnerships:
-Career centers – medium
-Internships – limited
-(Applied) research projects – very limited, exclusively in the field of life and physical sciences

4. Partnerships between higher education institutions and industry in Bulgaria
Reasons for the academia-industry divide:
-Too academic education in universities and too practical in colleges (embedded in the Higher Education Act)
-Lack of entrepreneurial spirit in HEI management
-Industry representatives do not see HEI as partners / potential problem solvers
-Smaller companies are focused on survival and short-term goals

5. The IUC’s experience
Career Centre
Centre for Vocational Education and Training
Projects Department
Centre for Scientific Research
Centre for Entrepreneurship

6. The IUC’s experience
-Internships for students, jobs for graduates
-Trainings for company employees
-Job fairs open for the general public
-Guest lecturers and part-time lecturers from the industry
-Training in tourism and hospitality for the local community in several municipalities
-Training of employees in private companies under the EU funded programme “I can” - in English, German, Tourism and Hospitality, Entrepreneurship, Accounting, Finance, often tailored to trainees’ specific needs.
-Training in hospitality-related professions in the framework of projects financed by the World Bank and the Bulgarian Employment Agency
-Specific applied tasks
-Research cooperation with the industry is initiated by IUC, not the industry
-Alumni club
-Meetings and forums involving representatives of business, students and IUC staff

7. THANK YOU!
ANY QUESTIONS?