GN Edufair: Embracing continuous learning is critical to success

GN Edufair: Embracing continuous learning is critical to success

The future of industry is constantly evolving, and academia-industry partnerships need to prepare graduates to keep their finger on the pulse, and think creatively and innovatively. That was the consensus between the experts at the panel discussion titled “Strengthen academia-industry partnerships for the future of work” at the Gulf News Edufair 2023 on Saturday. “We offer extra courses and workshops in addition to the curriculum they are studying, enabled by industry partners such as Dell, Oracle, Cisco, IBM,” said Dr. Fehmida Hussain, Associate Professor, School of Science and Technology, Founder and head of the Centre of Science and Technology, Middlesex University Dubai. “So our IT students, right from the first year onwards, look at different career pathways identified by the partnerships we have in the industry.” But she cautioned that is merely a starting point for the partnership between industry and academia given how rapidly technology and society is changing today. “We don’t know what we’re preparing graduates for – we just know they need to be lifelong learners.” “Lifelong learners” was the theme of the day. “Our graduates are going to change industry. They’re going to be leaders of industry,” said Prof. Tadhg O'Donovan, Deputy Vice Principal, Heriot-Watt University