PARTNERSHIP, COLLOBORATIONS AND LINKAGES

Universities and industry enjoy a symbiotic relationship. Further, society also benefits from a trained workforce answering today’s most pressing challenges and creating technology to improve lives. These mutually beneficial partnerships can produce ground-breaking research and innovation that solves complex problems, drive economic growth, and create a more skilled workforce.

The Technical University of Mombasa and most local and international industries have come together for this very reason. These partnerships characterized by signing off a Memorandum of Understanding seeks to combine their technical skills, knowledge, and resources to innovate and address several challenges that are affecting both parties and to a greater extent, the society.

SCOPE OF COLLABORATION

The collaboration envisioned between TUM and these industries are based on the following areas:

1. Collaborative research initiatives including proposal writing and publications 

2. Joint Community outreach and mentorship programmes 

3. Joint organisation of conferences, workshop and symposia

4. Student attachment, internship and placement

5. Staff Exchange Programme and Training

6. Joint development of short-term courses for targeted groups 

7. Joint advocacy and sensitisations awareness of issues of interest to both institutions 

8. Exchange and sharing relevant information, infrastructure and facilities.

Collaborative Research initiatives, proposal writing and publications

Historically, university researchers have collaborated with industrial scientists on marketable projects. As a matter of fact, Science historians have traced collaborations between companies and university researchers back to the 1800s. With the shifting of global economies, companies are aggressive in terms of access to faculty who created the cutting-edge knowledge and technology central to university research.

TUM, being a critical industry player in shaping the market, will seek to bring on board savvy minds across major faculties to drive its development agenda. The area’s most likely to benefit from this collaboration include:

• Information Technology

• Blue Economy

• Renewable Energy and Waste Management

• Business and Entrepreneurship

• Engineering and Technology

• Health and Biotechnology

The interdependent research relationship between Technical university of Mombasa and the industries will enable all entities to sustain growth in their areas. While to some extent the industries shall rely on TUM researchers for product innovations, faculty gain prestige through increased external research exposure.

Joint organization of conferences, workshop and symposia

TUM and stakeholders from industries and other institutions shall over specified periods hold joint conferences, workshops and symposia, whose main aim shall be running research and trends in the market.

During these conferences and workshops, TUM shall, depending on need, invite various industry players in the industry which will expose learners and employees to goings on in various levels.

Student Internship and placement

The collaboration between TUM and stakeholders seeks to offer a platform for students to undertake attachments in their respective areas of study in fulfilment of course requirement within the below parameters

1. The students shall be required to send in an application detailing their area of specialization

2. Upon selection, the student shall be required report with the following documents

• A letter from the institution

• An insurance covers

• Duly filled NITA forms from the training institution

Internship duration

The duration of the attachment shall be a minimum of 6 months.

The attachment shall be a comprehensive exercise that will centre on the specific area of study for the student. Where there is need, the students shall be exposed to various departments in respect of their study area through a rotational mode of study.

Internship  report

At the end of the attachment, the students will be required to write a report on their experience during their stay at the organization. This Report shall be incisive and shall cover areas such as;

• Areas covered

• Gaps witnessed

• Recommendations on possible areas of improvement

Upon successful completion of the attachment, following the guidelines in the MoU and where applicable, the students who shall have been exceptional in their areas shall be recommended for job placement.

Staff Exchange Program and Training

The staff exchange program contemplated on the MoU shall offer specific technical, administrative, intellectual and business personnel from the two parties an opportunity to exchange know-how for specified periods of time.

The programme shall encourage the sharing of best practices and knowledge, peer-learning, on-the-job training, and the development of personal, professional and intercultural skills and competence.

Joint advocacy and sensitizations awareness of issues of interest to both institutions

Advocacy is the active support of an idea or cause expressed through strategies and methods that influence the opinions and decisions of people and organizations.

In this context, the aims of advocacy are to create or change policies, laws, regulations, distribution of resources or other decisions that affect both parties to ensure that such decisions lead to implementation.

Such advocacy shall generally be directed at policy makers and leaders within stakeholders and TUM whose decisions impact upon both employees and student lives, as well as those whose opinions and actions influence policy makers.

Exchange and sharing of relevant information infrastructure and facilities

The success of this program shall be hinged on openness and continuous communication between the two parties on the goings on regarding plans and execution of ideas.

Where there shall be need, e.g. symposia and conferences, the parties shall share facilities such as conference halls, meeting rooms and transport.

This partnership is geared towards encouraging collaboration in a universal manner. The two parties shall further to the foregoing, organize events such as 

• Career fairs 

• Sporting activities 

• CSR initiatives