There are various ways to engage companies and industry collaborators into joint programmes. It is important to create connections to the professional world already during the studies to support and widen the employment opportunities of graduates, to enhance the networking opportunities and to raise the attractiveness and visibility of the programme. If the JP aims to apply for Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s (EMJM) funding, the following points are mentioned as expected impact outcomes of the EMJM: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-b/key-action-2/erasmus-mundus:
- To respond to societal and labour market needs
- To improve the employability of participating students
- To forge new mind-sets and approaches to academic studies through international, interdisciplinary, intersectoral and intercultural experience
- To enhance networking and communication capacities of the students
Check-list to reflect:
- What kind of interaction there is between the JP and non-educational actors in the programme implementation
- How are the representatives from the world of work connected to the programme design, curriculum development, course evaluation, knowledge and skills transfer, delivery of complementary courses, course promotion, etc.?
- What are the measures foreseen to help students get experience of professional environments related to study fields?
- How is the networking of students supported during the programme?
REDEEM2 project (Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships project during 2018-2021) had as one of the main objectives the following: to create a framework for the development of innovative and efficient Joint Programmes (JPs) in the field of STEM with active participation of employers to the whole process from curriculum development, to the definition of the learning outcomes, delivery of teaching, hosting of internships, definition of thesis topics and recruitment mechanisms. REDEEM2 implemented surveys and identified best practices that represent the main outputs of the project. REDEEM 2 Survey App
Integration with curriculum
Practical, real-life projects organised as a part of the curriculum, course work: topics may come from research projects (university-industry)
- Master’s thesis in industry or in research organisation (see chapter xx)
- Internship (summer job) in industry or in research organisation (see chapter xx)
- Jointly organised courses on topics related to the project on (university-industry)
- Guest lectures by industry experts
JP Advisory/Management Board
The companies and/or non-educational partners with specific expertise and interest in the area of study can be called “Associate Members” (terminology used in Erasmus Mundus). JP management structure, in addition to the Consortium Board/Committee, may also include an “Advisory Board” consisting of representatives of Associate Members or JP alumni from industry and other relevant stakeholders. Their role in Advisory Board could be:
- To have a “voice” in JP and curriculum development
- To give feedback for programme developers on future needs of industry
Also, guest members from the business or industrial world can be invited to participate in the evaluation panel of the master’s thesis.
Other roles
Funding source
- Companies may support the running of the programme with donations, scholarship, paid master’s thesis, sponsoring courses
Extracurricular activities
- Organising meet and greet events with companies to support the networking of students, alumni and experts
- Company visits
- Mentoring of students
- Promotion of hackathons, competitions