Abstract:

The ever-changing demands of the contemporary labour market and knowledge-based society are transforming the traditional universities and higher education institutions, as primarily the places of teaching, learning and research, into entrepreneurial universities, as places where students do not only acquire knowledge but are also equipped with transferable skills and competences that are required by their prospective employers. The accomplishment of the aforementioned goal can certainly be facilitated through cooperation between academic community and industry, which is beneficial for both principal stakeholders and relevant in the broader social and economic context. More specifically, such collaboration can serve multiple purposes - from sharing knowledge and resources in joint research projects, lifelong learning for business people through executive education and professional training, industry support through sponsorship and scholarship programs to gaining insights from industry in curriculum design and delivery, thus contributing towards the mission of the university and ultimately improving graduate employability.

Even though it is not always entirely feasible to foster academic and student entrepreneurship due to obstacles in establishing common goals with members of the professional community, the aim of this paper is to show how a student competition in presentation skills in English can be used as a model for university-industry collaboration within the curricular objectives of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course, and there are several reasons for the success of this collaboration that will be discussed in this case study. The competition is organized annually by the Department of Business Foreign Languages at the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb, Croatia and it features first-year students completing a business English course. Firstly, the organization of the competition for five consecutive years would not have been possible without the support of university management as well as business partners in terms of shared resources and sponsorship. Secondly, the assessment committee comprising the members of various faculty departments and working professionals sets an example of interdepartmental cooperation as well as academic-business cooperation in sharing knowledge and expertise. Thirdly, prizes for the best presentation teams offering free study materials and applications, core courses delivered in English and possibilities of internship in Croatian companies do not only enhance students' academic skills but also their career skills. Finally, the ESP lecturers have the opportunity to gain new insights and research incentives for improving their curriculum design and teaching objectives so as to enhance the learning experience of their students and improve their presentation and communication skills.

The findings of this case study will be compared to the relevant literature on the subject and recommendations will be made for improvements of this type of university-industry collaboration in the future.

Keywords:

University-industry collaboration, entrepreneurial university, English for Specific Purposes, transferable skills, presentation skills competition, curriculum design.