Converting Weakness into Strength in the Entrepreneurial University Framework

The universities are trying to connect with industry and promising to deliver good value to the society along with teaching and basic research. This third role is called the entrepreneurial role of the universities.

Converting Weakness into Strength in the Entrepreneurial University FrameworkThe Academic Weakness

Entrepreneurial role needs to be appreciated and backed by conducive policy, lucrative incentives, proactive ORIC/TTO and industry demand under a technology diffusion drive.

The faculty experience and exposure towards industry and society is the weakest area of the universities in Pakistan. The faculty has total teaching and publication experience and never have been to industry and society engagement. The limited exposure and experience will not work too. The significant time of co-working and professional engagement is needed for faculty to be able to understand the inside environment and deliver some value.

Can academia win by selling its weakness? Or it will widen the present trust deficit between academia and industry/ society. We are experiencing the later one daily.

The Faculty Classification

Under IRP entrepreneurial university program we propose to classify faculty and identify who is willing to work with industry and likes to volunteer. The faculty needs to be assessed according to their strengths , incentivized according to willingly chosen area and offered capacity building under that priority plan.

The Entrepreneurial Faculty

The universities and ORIC need to offer entrepreneurial track to selected faculty having strong will and passion for outside engagements. This type of faculty members are given exposure to industry and society. Their capacity needs to be built to serve the community and offer good value to the industry. This type of faculty can best engage with policy makers, consult stakeholders and advise public sector for better policy making and execution. They need backing of funding, operational support, incentives, and conducive policy. This entrepreneurial faculty to be assessed on entrepreneurial parameters preferably.

This entrepreneurial faculty can convert academic weakness into strength and cover the present trust gap by actual delivery.

The Admin Faculty 

There is type of people who love to be engaged in administration and managerial works. They need to be given maximum admin load and assessed accordingly.

The Teaching Faculty

There is faculty type very good in teaching skills. They can cover maximum teaching related assignments and activities. They need to be chosen for teaching and assessed accordingly.

The Research Faculty

There is faculty much interested in basic research, publications, journals and theoretical works. Their strengths should not be killed by engaging them with industry and society. They will earn bad name. They need to be assessed on basic research and theoretical contributions.

Conclusion

There are exceptional faculty members who master multitasking and show significant output in above mentioned four types. Generally, the faculty needs to be tasked and assessed according to their strengths and chosen academic path. Here we propose fundamental faculty assessment scheme of 100 marks for further planning.

Basic Parameters = 0-60 marks

  • Minimum teaching = 0-30
  • Minimum university activities = 0-10
  • Minimum behavioral exhibition =0-10
  • Minimum students services = 0-10

This needs to be basic requirements against job and offered salary.

Tertiary Parameters = 0- 40 Marks

  • Extraordinary Entrepreneurial Track = 0-30 Marks
  • Extraordinary Admin Track = 0-30 Marks

Extraordinary Funding and Grants Track = 0-03 Marks

  • Extraordinary Teaching Track = 0-30 Marks
  • Extraordinary Research Track = 0-30 Marks
  • Extraordinary Performance in Multiple Tracks 0-10

This category of marks need to drive maximum bonuses, pay raise, incentives and privileges

This classification will make research viable for universities, help ORICs to generate revenue from innovative works of entrepreneurial faculty, enable faculty to contribute in their chosen areas and ensure country development in both basic and applied research.

The faculty classification can generate revenue for the universities. The research faculty can bring lot of research grants and scholarships for postgraduates by doing cutting edge research. The entrepreneurial faculty can bring revenue by selling technology, winning applied projects, offering consultancy and solving problems of industry and society.

The universities can attract and retain talented faculty and ensure better placement for graduates too improving its social impact.