MANAGEMENT OF INTERACTION BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT OF INTERACTION BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND BUSINESS
Askar Duisenbiyev
Senior Lecturer of the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy Kazakh-British Technical University,
Kazakhstan, Almaty
Gulnaz Altynbek
Doctoral student DBA "Business Administration" Kazakh-British Technical University,
Kazakhstan, Almaty
Natalia Valerievna
Senior language instructor, Almaty Management University,
Kazakhstan, Almaty
ABSTRACT
In modern conditions of continuous development of technologies, when the period of obsolescence of knowledge is rapidly decreasing, cooperation between business and the university becomes critically important. The transfer of new knowledge, technologies, and innovations from the university allows the state to be competitive and successfully support the country's economy and business. The key to the country's success can be the so-called "Triple Helix of Innovative Development", which is based on the generation of new knowledge by universities through support from the real sector of the economy and government regulation. This article's subject is analyzing the results and identifying the most effective forms of cooperation between a higher educational institution (hereinafter referred to as the university) and business in Kazakhstan. In light of the results of this study, the author considers promising forms and mutually beneficial directions, and identified barriers in the matter of practical cooperation. The information basis of the study was the objective results of the work of the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy of the Kazakh-British Technical University (hereinafter - KMA) in the period from 2012 to the present.
Keywords: university, maritime companies, cooperation, triple helix of cooperation, Caspian Sea, employers.
The main method of research is the method of complex data analysis in combination with the method of interviewing participants of training courses, responsible representatives of maritime companies. Scientific novelty of the study is to identify the pattern of increasing the level of interaction between the university and business, which affects the strengthening of maritime safety and as a consequence, improving the competitiveness of the maritime industry of Kazakhstan. It is necessary to note that preparation of qualified specialists for ships of maritime companies is a requirement of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (hereinafter - STCW). The authors of the study conclude about the synergistic effect of cooperation between the state, university and business, which can dramatically affect the establishment of high international standards in the maritime industry in the context of improving the competitiveness of the maritime industry.
The relevance of the study is determined by the importance of the development of relationships between government agencies, business and universities, the expansion of applicable types and methods of cooperation in order to improve the safety of navigation of vessels under the flag of Kazakhstan in the Caspian Sea.
Renowned science popularizer, writer, and journalist Gaia Vince wrote back in 2013 that there has never been so much information about so much of our lives in such an accessible form. It has been established that the average urban dweller receives as much information in the course of a day as a man in the fifteenth century would have encountered in his entire life [2]. This phenomenon has not passed over to the maritime industry either; the constant and systematic process of merchant fleet crews' training level improvement is a vital necessity. A competent, qualified, and responsible seafarer is a product of the joint work of industry, university, and state. The role of the state in this process is to create clear and transparent rules in the educational process. The success of the economic activity of maritime companies and industry competitiveness can be and must be provided by a partnership between the university and the business. The concept of the "triple helix of innovative development" (Triple Helix Model) was created by professor of Newcastle University Henry Itskowitz and professor of Amsterdam University Loyet Leydesdorf in 90-ies of the last century. According to this theory, economic development based on knowledge is largely determined by the interaction of universities with industry and the state [1]. At the modern stage of development of the education system of Kazakhstan, the high degree of self-activity of the higher educational institutions (further-HEI) that has a dual effect has been reached: Higher educational institution is not dominated by strict prescriptions of the state, the state does not oblige the enterprises to provide the educational process with an infrastructure. But on the other hand, a university with a high rating can attract the real business sector to its training process. As a result, we have a positive effect of competition between universities and companies for competent graduates and promising professionals.
Mutual cooperation between the state, university, and business is of interest to economic science in order to improve the efficiency of their activities as a whole and individually. The forms of cooperation can be in different configurations, some of the possible forms are listed below, but the list is not exhaustive:
- Educational cooperation: the main goal of such cooperation is the training of specialists at the appropriate level for the needs of the industry;
- Innovation-strategic cooperation: promotion of advanced technologies in training and business environment;
- Science-strategic cooperation: coordination of interaction with representatives of the scientific academic community;
- Public-private partnership: normative coordination of interaction with representatives of the economic sector or with public authorities; creation of conditions aimed at providing high-quality training of specialists for a particular industry;
- International partnership of universities: establishing ties at the international level, involving the development of mobility of students and teachers [5].
Given the rapid pace of development of processes in the maritime industry of Kazakhstan and the demand for national personnel, the government has decided to create a new institution of higher maritime education. In 2012 the Kazakh-British Technical University (hereinafter - KBTU) together with STC-Group University established the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy (hereinafter - KMA). From the very first day of KMA operation, the university administration counted on the high quality of the educational program, high level of personnel, and provision of the university with advanced material and technical facilities. During the first three years of formation there were laboratories "High Voltage", hydraulics and pneumatics laboratories "Hydrotrainer 200" and "Pneutrainer 200", a laboratory "Refrigeration Unit" (gig. 1 and 2), and a welding simulator "Soldamatic", a laboratory of diesel, turning and locksmith work, classes of simulators for running machinery and engine room by the leading manufacturer "Kongsberg" (fig. 3 and 4).
Figure 1. KMA laboratory Figure 2. KMA laboratory
Figure 3. KMA engine room Figure 4. KMA bridge simulator
The educational space of the university initially has the property of constant cooperation, and exchange of knowledge and the most important condition for improving the educational process is an established international partnership. Thanks to the partnership with the university of Netherlands and high standards of student training KMA took a leading position in the maritime education of Kazakhstan. To understand the importance of the development process of cooperation between the University and the maritime companies we should note that Kazakhstan is a country that has no direct connection with the seas of the World Ocean. The maritime industry, and moreover, maritime education in Kazakhstan has a very short history. Maritime education in the education system has the status of experimental, and it is important to understand that the main contingent of the command staff of the merchant ships in Kazakhstan is represented by foreign nationals from countries like Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Netherlands, Azerbaijan, and others. Fixing the high level of cadet training in Kazakhstan is the most important aspect of the work of Kazakhstan Maritime Academy. The Academy has an important task: to maintain the high level of quality of training of graduates of the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy. Maritime companies of Kazakhstan are interested in the development of cooperation between business and the University, but they have their own commercial, industrial, and economic goals. Meeting the requirements of maritime companies in the aspect of training of deck officers and engineers is a priority task of Kazakhstan Maritime Academy. Below are the dynamics of the development of cooperation between the university and maritime companies of Kazakhstan since the establishment of the Academy.
In 2014 Caspian Offshore Construction (hereinafter referred to as COC) concluded a contract with KBTU on target training of marine engineers and deck officers and allocated educational grants for four students. For nine years COC company has been systematically providing landing places for KMA cadets for maritime apprenticeship, and more than fifty cadets have undergone apprenticeship in COC. After graduation, KMA graduates are hired into the company's command sailing staff without a probationary period, and at the moment they hold various command positions in the company's crews. This contract is still in force, it allows the company to plan its HR policy for a long period, and the university to recruit new students and develop.
“P&O Maritime Logistics" has a long history of cooperation with KMA, after graduating cadets go to work on ships of this company and gain practical maritime experience. After a number of years of work at sea four KMA graduates, merchant fleet officers, came to transfer their experience to the university as lecturers.
The national maritime carrier, “KazMorTransFlot” and “Caspiy Shipping”, which operates oil tankers, have expressed interest in collaboration. Between 2018 and 2022, more than forty KMA cadets spent six months at sea on KMTF and “Caspiy Shipping” oil tankers. Having received excellent training at KMA, the cadets earned positive feedback from their captains through their work. According to the results of the negotiations between the companies and the university they signed Memorandums of understanding and establishment of closer cooperation.
At the end of the maritime practice the cadets hand in their projects and study assignments for review, the Academy conducts a survey of the cadets on how the apprenticeship went, what can be improved, and what needs to be changed. According to the results of the surveys, problematic moments and barriers are identified that need to be eliminated. Let's stay on only two issues. The first is the discrepancy between the real situation with safety measures, the observance of norms of international conventions on companies' ships, and the theoretical knowledge that students get within the walls of the university. Students, with their youthful maximalism, insist on the observance of all safety rules, and ecological requirements when they do different works. They do not always get an adequate response from the crew, and for this reason, students can lose motivation for high standards. Secondly, there is often a lack of understanding of the importance of supporting gender equality by ship crews. Students of both sexes study successfully in KMA, girls are not inferior to boys in questions of theoretical and practical trainings, they pass firefighting trainings, diving training, and other specific maritime trainings. Unfortunately, there are such facts, although not always and not everywhere. As a rule, by the second month of practice, the understanding of the good level of KMA students, both guys, and girls remove all the problems. To support the two-way exchange of information, the results of the surveys are communicated to the management of maritime companies, and feedback is requested from the ship captains for each student. Thus, the mutual positive impact on the training process at the Academy and on the practice of maritime activities of crews at sea makes it possible to predict an overall improvement in the quality of work at sea.
One of the most effective tools for strengthening cooperation with the industry was the creation of the Industrial Committee (hereinafter - IC) of KMA at the university. It consists of representatives of maritime companies, representatives of the Maritime Administration of Kazakhstan, and representatives of the Academy. The meetings of the Industrial Committee are held once a quarter, where the questions about KMA educational program and ways to increase the correspondence to the industry demands are actively discussed. Especially important was the work of IC during the pandemic and its associated restrictions, the questions of maritime practice of KMA students on the ships of marine companies of Kazakhstan were solved quickly. The quality of KMA graduates, who went to work in the industry, is constantly being questioned [3]. As results of IC work important decisions about conducting guest lectures by professionals of trade fleet, and quality assurance of cadets' marine practice on ships of maritime companies was made.
As a result, it is necessary to note the mutual interest of both HEIs and maritime companies in cooperation with efforts in the field of personnel training. This type of cooperation imposes certain obligations on both parties, but at the same time, it strengthens the professional ties between the university and potential employers. A high level of KMA graduates' employment raises the prestige of marine educational programs in the whole country and creates a positive image of a seafarer-professional. An important factor of the partnership between HEIs and maritime companies is the effect on the social sphere; new prospects of growth, development, and professional implementation are opened up for young people. The Kazakhstan youth is focused, basically, on the professions hardly connected with the sea, and school leavers do not have sufficient information on the prospects of the maritime industry. And that is the reason why it is important to create success stories of maritime graduates, professional sailors, and maritime companies. All this is achievable in close interaction of university and business, with the full support of the state.
In conclusion, we would like to note that the triple helix model, worked out by G. Itskovitz and L. Leydesdorf and describes cooperation of university, business, and state is not the only and complete one [4 - P. 14-19]. Scientists continue to develop other models of interaction, the so-called tetra-spiral (society acts as an independent link with its requests and standards) [7, P. 25-35], and also penta-spiral of innovative cooperation (the natural environment of society is taken into account in cooperation) [6. P. 1-2]. Further work on the improvement of all-sided cooperation presupposes a huge volume of work and its fulfilment requires new generations of competent specialists and scientific workers with a wide outlook and field of interest.
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