May 22, 2023 

The UNIMED SubNetwork on Employability contributes to the new reflection paper on University-Business Cooperation

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In the last decades, cooperation between higher education institutions and the wider economy has become a relevant topic of discussion. Indeed, universities play a crucial role in innovating, and business could benefit from the results of research. Universities can provide key skills for businesses that are necessary for generating innovation and entrepreneurship, while businesses can inform universities of the skills required by firms in the wide labor market.

In the areas of research and innovation, as well as education, a multitude of strategic objectives have been set by the European Union. Following on from these strategic objectives, multiple policy initiatives have been launched by European as well as national stakeholders.

University-Business Cooperation: EU-level initiatives & on-the-ground implementation, a paper reflection realised with the support of the DG EAC of the European Commission, explores interrelated EU and national-level initiatives in the fields of innovation, research, and education that all deepen and foster cooperation between universities and business.

In particular, Chapter 3 and 4 examine some best-practice examples of how specific actions on this topic are taken on the ground.

One of them is the Centre MINE – Careers, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre – at the Lebanese University, coordinator of the UNIMED SubNetwork on Employability. The CENTRE MINE was established in December 2018, as part of the European-funded Erasmus+ project RESUME. The idea was proposed by Professor Sélim Mekdessi (Dean of the Faculty of Economics & Business Administration) and is led by Dr. Riad Mekdessi (Centre MINE Director). The Centre MINE aims to reinforce the relationship between the University, the productive institutions and the business world, and improve students’ employment opportunities and professional integration, beside developing their innovation and creative capacity and spreading the culture of entrepreneurship at the university.

The reflection paper provides an exhaustive overview of the Centre MINE and other initiatives carried out together with the best practices in the field. It also represents an important moment of reflection to further strengthen the University-Business cooperation.

The report is available here.

To know more on the UNIMED SubNetwork on Employability, please visit https://www.uni-med.net/subnetworks/employability/