Corporate linkages should bridge academia-industry gap: CM

Jammu Tawi, Nov 23: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today impressed upon the institutes of higher learning in the state to explore more and more corporate linkages for not only enhancing the employability of their alumni but also bridge the gap between the academia and industry.

Chairing the third meeting of the State Higher Education Council here today, the Chief Minister said fast and rapid changes taking place in the industry should be regularly incorporated in the course curriculum so that the students after completing their degrees were able to respond to the requirements and challenges of the corporate world properly.

This, she said, would not only enhance the absorption of young passouts in the corporate sector easily, but would also cement the relations between the academia and industry, making the courses much more application based.

The State Higher Education Council was constituted in 2013 as a requirement under the Rashtriya Uchittar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) for accessing funds and overseeing higher education activities in the state.

Mehbooba, who is also the chairperson of the council, said such corporate linkages would also ensure financial stabilisation of many of such institutes making them self-sustaining and widen their perspective in planning. She suggested that course curriculum be looked into periodically to suit the changing job needs and application requirements of the corporate world.

Earlier, Education Minister Naeem Akhtar briefed the Chief Minister about the council and the activities undertaken in the higher education sector in the state.