Raj Devasagayam, Ph.D., dean of the Leon Hess Business School, was recently a panelist for a special edition of The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) member discussion on “Industry-Academia Interface in Higher Education.” The event was hosted by Woxsen University, India, and was presented as a livestream on Dec. 15.
“The Leon Hess Business School is proud to be engaged with universities across the globe in the service of our students. Global businesses need the global citizens that our Monmouth mission espouses,” said Devasagayam. “This panel allowed us to showcase the impact that students and their faculty mentors are having on our local community, regional community, and now international community.”
The symposium was moderated by Nishit Jain, senior special adviser to Asia, EFMD. Other members of the panel included: Amber Wigmore Alvarez, Ph.D., chief talent officer at Highered; Amy Memon, regional principal, South Asia – AACSB International; and Mark Scott Rosenbaum, Ph.D., dean of The Graham Business School at Saint Xavier University.
The event, which was attended by students, faculty, corporate entities, and Woxsen’s international partner universities, was designed to highlight the role that partnerships between industries and academia play in advancing research and creating a skilled workforce. While industry often focuses on addressing short-term commercial solutions, and academia prioritizes building upon knowledge through researching and teaching, the panel explored how combining these ideals can accelerate societal growth and technological breakthroughs.
“Collaborating with businesses and universities provides experiential learning opportunities for our students and broadens their vision. Students quickly realize that knowledge comes in all accents!” said Devasagayam. “Our counterparts in other nations are as conscientious and concerned about our world as we are. Potential internship and employment opportunities of the 21st century require the LHBS students to be able to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-lingual future. Cross-functional teams of problem-solvers is now the norm in business as distances of thousands of miles are rendered meaningless in the digital word. Engaging with multiple nationalities and universities is one more advantage that LHBS is able to offer to our students,” he said.
