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UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY COLLABORATION IN MALAYSIA’S URBAN PLANNING EDUCATION

R. K. Zahari, R. N. R. Ariffin, I. Ngah

Abstract

The world is undergoing rapid urbanization and Malaysia is not an exception with more than 75 percent of its population currently living in urban centres. This brought about numerous urbanization concerns that must be addressed comprehensively and aligned to the United Nation’s target of Sustainable Development Goal 11 of Sustainable Cities and Communities. One approach of tackling urbanization challenges is with institutions producing competent urban planners with the industry contributing significantly in the design and implementation of curriculums adopted by the universities. The objective of this study is to investigate the perceptions and expectations of the industry regarding urban planning programs of Malaysian universities. The inputs from the industry were gathered through a survey and a workshop involving respondents from government agencies, urban planning practitioners, built environment consultants and property developers. The finding shows that the subjects covered in the curriculums are suitable in producing marketable and industry-relevant urban planning graduates. Furthermore, the syllabi encompass essential planning theories and contemporary concepts, nurture designing abilities and incorporate excellent use of technology with up-to-date software and hardware. However, the respondents agree that aspects involving management, legal matters and communication proficiency can be further improved with the aim of producing better urban planners who are well-equipped to face real-world challenges. The study concludes that more industry-university cooperation is essential including embedding industry experts in various learning settings such as input lectures and critique sessions to benefit both the students and the academics. Research collaboration between the institutions and the industry is another excellent opportunity that should be further enhanced. A mutual platform is also proposed to encourage more interactions among stakeholders in the urban planning field to enable updating of members on latest advancements and accomplishments. Moreover, the industry agrees that an urban planning program which is capable of addressing the current challenges is an exceptional investment not only for the country but the wider region as well.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2019V/6.1/S17.075

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