Making Academia-Industry Interface Work

Abstract

Universities and industry, which for long have been operating in separate domains, are rapidly inching closer to each other to create synergies. The constantly changing management paradigms, in response to growing complexity of the business environment today have necessitated these two to come closer. Higher education institutions not only contribute skilled human resources to business, but also in various intangible ways. The intersecting needs and mutually interdependent relationship requires identifying means of further strengthening academia-industry partnerships.

This paper attempts to explore how business schools can work closely with industry, study the dimensions of academia-industry partnership, and identify possible areas where industry's contribution to academia would be most effective. This Exploratory study involves first hand information from faculty and heads of business schools on this issue, andfocuses on the Indian scenario.