Stamford and Industry Partners Strategize to Unleash Graduate 4.0’s Potential in New Global Employment Markets
Stamford International University, which has shaped the careers of students from more than 100 countries over the past 23 years, took its goals a few steps further by creating an industry engagement platform with its industry partners. The goal of building the new platform is to understand first-hand the expectations and challenges faced by top recruiters and industry leaders seeking to build strong talent pipelines.
The Employer Roundtable was attended by industry partners, the media and Stamford representatives. During the session, Stamford’s leadership and career experts discussed the ways teaching and learning can be recalibrated for even stronger student outcomes, with the goal of preparing agile graduates who are able to seamlessly navigate roles in Thailand and globally.
Tim Bulow, the Chief Executive Officer of Laureate International Universities Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, talked about the university’s priority of working with industry partners to enhance numerous aspects of the students’ experience. “We have increased efforts to create the essential and necessary skills needed in workplaces today and in the future through joint activities such as co-developing courses based on market insights and trends, internship programs and industry projects. We have also established Industry Advisory Boards to help drive these efforts.”
At Stamford, with students from more than 100 countries, an international community learns together. The use of English communication in the exchange of culture, the use of innovative technology in teaching and learning, the experience of faculty members from more than 34 countries and the collaboration with industry partners, cultivate the skills of graduates so they are job-ready in both Thai and international environments. Their graduates’ starting salary is consistently higher than the market average. What usually comes with good employment is the power of earning that can transform lives. When students succeed, countries prosper and societies benefit because the graduates are prepared and motivated to make a positive sustainable impact in the community. takipçi satın al
Mr Bulow said, “Every year we assess our graduate employability outcomes. The latest results show that 74% of our graduates have a higher starting salary than the market average. We also monitor how quickly our graduates can get a job and we are proud that 35% of our graduates were offered jobs even before they graduated. Many of the students received job offers because of their good performance during the internship process. This demonstrates that our program offerings and the way we teach has equipped the students with the necessary knowledge and skills to graduate job-ready.”
“What we have heard from employers is that our graduates have the critical soft skills modern employers seek, including communication, leadership, problem solving, critical thinking and project management. We are pleased with the results because it clearly shows that our ways of teaching and learning, the collaboration with industry, the result-based learning from real experience and the international environment at Stamford, give the outcomes we seek.”
For the last 23 years, Stamford has continuously improved its curriculum and student quality to be consistent with the needs of the labour market. In particular, over the past two years, the university has expanded its network base with more than 300 industry partners such as BMW Group Thailand, Unilever Thai Trading Limited, Thai – Italian Chamber of Commerce, Cartoon Club Media, ECCO Thailand, Foodpanda, G-able, Holiday Inn, Hubvisor, Index Creative Village, Maybank Kim Eng, MCOT, Srithai Superware, SANET (Thailand), Impact Exhibition Management, L’Oreal Thailand and many more leading companies.
Mr. Krisda Utamote, Director Corporate Communications BMW Group Thailand said, “The BMW Group has 30 production sites in 14 countries around the world. Having world-class car manufacturing and marketing knowledge that can be shared with Stamford students is of immense benefit. They can learn from our advanced business knowledge and the trends of the ever-changing automobile market, such as BMW’s ACES concept which consists: Autonomous, Connectivity, Electric, and Sharing Services. We can help students develop a vision for business adaptation in order to keep pace with the future.”
Mr. Narut Boonprasert, Talent Advisor, Unilever Thai Trading Ltd., said, “The world is changing rapidly as industry adopts and innovates with its use of AI (Artificial Intelligence). Employees need to be not just professional but also agile and able to adapt quickly. It is necessary to consistently learn new things including the latest innovations and technology. In particular, the use of Data Analytics technology, and the use of social platforms. Additionally, they will need to have a good understanding of business. Hiring a fresh Stamford graduate is like having an employee who already has a year of experience due to an internship-focused curriculum structure at Stamford.”
Mr. Michele Tomea, Secretary General of the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce, said, “The Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce has Stamford interns that are 30% Thai and 70% foreign students. Stamford students have good English skills and an understanding of multiculturalism and the diverse accents of people from many nations, which is a key to communication. The important thing in developing a student’s potential is that they need to be ready to work. We have to push the students out of their comfort zone for them to learn new things. They also have to possess knowledge of online marketing, online media, and be able to understand and adapt to the rapidly changing world of technology. These are all essential skills for the 21st century.”
Mr Bulow added, “Over the years, we have received growing interest in our offerings and ways of educating, from businesses, industry and other countries. In addition to the Rama 9 Campus where we offer international and bilingual undergraduate programs, the Asoke Campus Learning Center has been established to facilitate working adult programs like an MBA. The Stamford MBA is recognized internationally for the quality of the program; it is in high demand and has even, for example, been delivered in Yangon, Myanmar by our international lecturers from Bangkok. Our Hua Hin campus has offered international programs in addition to its bi-lingual bachelor’s degree programs and Thai bachelor’s and master’s degree programs for working adults, with considerable interest from both domestic and international prospective students.”
Stamford recently organized a Stamford Networking Night for faculty members, students, and more than 40 industry partners to exchange business ideas, knowledge and contacts. It also provided an opportunity for its students to build a network of internships and prospective employers. This is to strengthen the Education – Industry Linkage pillar of the university’s mission, which is essential in building strong employability outcomes.
