"One Department, N Enterprises" School-Enterprise Co-construction
"Through a close visit to Tianjin Transfar Highway Port, I truly gained a deeper understanding of its role as the logistics center of the city, filling the gaps in the city's logistics infrastructure and providing one-stop comprehensive intelligent logistics park services for manufacturing enterprises, commercial enterprises, logistics enterprises, truck drivers, and more. In the field of smart logistics and supply chain management, we need to conduct top-notch research based on on-site research to promote the intelligent transformation and upgrading of the logistics industry, and high-quality development of the industrial chain. We need to constantly innovate and promote new models and businesses to settle down," said Long Shangsong, a 2019 doctoral student at the College of Management and Economics (CoME) of Tianjin University (TJU).
Recently, CoME’s Department of Operation and Supply Chain Management and representatives of doctoral students held an activity with Tianjin Transfar Highway under the theme of "Implementing the Strategy of Developing the Country through Science and Education and Strengthening Talents Support for Modernization Construction" at Tianjin Transfar Highway Port. The relevant staff shared the development status of Transfar's logistics business, also answered questions for students using benchmark cases in the industry.
As an important part of the theme education of providing practical services for teachers and students, CoME innovated its talent cultivation model and explored new measures for "One Department, N Enterprises" school-enterprise co-construction. That is, based on one enterprise to one department, expanding to multiple enterprises to one department, strengthening department-enterprise coordination and cross cooperation, and continuously promoting the integration and innovative development of industry and education. CoME deepens the construction of emerging engineering disciplines, combines the advantages of management disciplines and professional characteristics, and accurately connects with 17 enterprises and institutions such as Tianjin Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd., Tianjin Branch of China Development Bank, and FAW Logistics (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. to achieve joint construction intentions. Through visits and exchanges, in-depth interviews, themed lectures, and joint construction of bases, etc, collaborative education between industry and academia was achieved.
"Going out" - Establishing all-round and stereoscopic professional cognition
CoME has always adhered to the concept of "student-centered development", conducted in-depth research, and adhered to the principle of opening the way through research. Student representatives have expressed their demands clearly in a series of themed education interviews, hoping that CoME will actively establish a platform for communication and exchange with enterprises, so that more students have the opportunity to interact with the industry, establish a comprehensive and stereoscopic understanding of the profession, to lay a cognitive foundation and resource support for their future employment and career development.
The series of joint construction activities is not only a powerful response to the actual needs of students, but also a beneficial innovation in promoting the school-enterprise deep integration. From the supply side perspective, the joint construction of schools and enterprises can promote the adaptation of disciplinary and professional construction to industrial transformation and upgrading, establish a disciplinary and professional system that closely aligns with the development of industrial chains, innovation chains, and strategic emerging industries, integrate the needs of industries, enterprises, and graduates, strengthen the demand orientation of talent cultivation, help students have close access to industry development opportunities, so as to enhance the relevance and effectiveness of talent cultivation. From the demand side perspective, it can promote the integration of higher education into regional innovation systems, integrate various resources, platforms, and elements of the industry, establish a closely coordinated innovation ecosystem with backbone enterprises, small, medium and micro enterprises, so as to provide strong talent support for industry development.
"Bringing in" - Promoting the construction of university faculty with industry-education integration
In the context of the new business era, the talent cultivation model of future business schools will continue to develop towards "interaction and openness", and educational resources will also become increasingly rich and dynamic. Breaking down disciplinary barriers and expanding educational boundaries has become an urgent collective demand for students. The joint construction of "One Department, N Enterprises" not only achieved the goal of "going out", but also promoted the construction of university teaching staff, “bringing in” excellent mentors from the industry. By actively introducing industry mentors, CoME aims to fully leverage the advantages and social influence of outstanding talents in enterprises, and assist the academic department in disciplinary construction, scientific research, teaching staff, talent cultivation, and other aspects, leading development and truly achieving effective integration and full complementarity of the advantages of both schools and enterprises.
At the same time, CoME strives to create a "classroom without walls", guiding students to have close contact with society, establishing a preliminary understanding of management practice, and achieving "beyond the classroom, integrating what is learned, and showcasing what is thought". Since 2014, CoME has implemented a "full mentor system" in student development, which involves hiring professional mentors, industry mentors, school-mate mentors, Head teachers, and counselors for undergraduate students to provide comprehensive guidance and assistance to students in terms of professional understanding, industry development, personal growth, and academic life.
Industry mentors are an important part of the full mentorship system. As of 2023, CoME has held over 100 industry mentor activities, covering 4 undergraduate grades, benefiting over 2,000 students and receiving unanimous praise from students and various sectors of society.
The construction of the "One Department, N Enterprises" school-enterprise co-construction model is an important initiative and useful attempt by CoME to consciously transform the achievements of thematic education and learning into solving problems and promoting development.
By College of Management and Economics
Editor: Sun Xiaofang
