University-Industry Partnership for Sustainable Development: A Strategic Approach to Educational Management Practices in STEM Disciplines

Abstract

This study examines the role of strategic educational management in sustaining university-industry partnerships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, as the study area. The population comprised 298 academic staff, and since the population was manageable, no sampling was conducted. Four research questions were formulated to guide the study. The Strategic Educational Management and University-Industry Partnership Questionnaire (SEMUIPQ) were developed as the instrument for data collection. The instrument was face-validated by three experts, two from the Educational Administration and Planning Unit, Department of Educational Foundations, and one from the Research, Measurement, and Evaluation Unit, Department of Science Education, all in the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. Reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha method, yielding a coefficient of 0.85. Data were collected through direct administration of the questionnaire, and the decision rule was set at a mean benchmark of 2.50.  Mean and Standard Deviation was used to answered the research questions. The findings of the study revealed that strategic educational management enhances university-industry partnerships by aligning university curricula with industry demands and promoting research commercialization. Additionally, inadequate policy frameworks and weak institutional support hinder effective collaboration. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that universities should develop and implement dynamic policies to strengthen sustainable industry engagement. This study contributes to knowledge by emphasizing the critical role of strategic educational management in fostering long-term university-industry collaboration for the advancement of STEM education.