CONSIDERATIONS for COMPANIES or EMPLOYER when SUBMITTING their PROJECT PROPOSAL:

When you submit your project proposal, you agree to the following guidelines. These guidelines are in place to ensure that the proposed project meets the needs and expectations of all stakeholders.  

1. In most cases, project teams (comprising postgraduate or undergraduate students in their final semester master/degree/diploma students) will work primarily on UNITAR campuses. However, occasional on-site or online meetings at your company’s premises can be arranged.

2. Proposed projects should provide a clear value proposition for both students and your organization. These projects can cover relevant areas such as ICT or AI applications, multimedia, graphic design, R&D, engineering, marketing plans, business plans, HR, sales, finance, accounting, mass communication, and hotel and restaurant management. UNITAR students are highly capable and seek challenging opportunities. These projects offer an excellent chance for talent scouting and fostering innovation.

3. Project cycles typically range from eight to twelve weeks duration in length, and each cycle may involve an entirely new team of students. Therefore, projects should have a well-defined objective achievable within a single project cycle. Additionally, if a project spans multiple cycles, there should be a mechanism for transferring knowledge effectively.

4. Proposed projects should avoid being mission-critical in nature or requiring a production-quality finish. Instead, prototypes, business models or frameworks, and R&D projects are more appropriate.

5. UNITAR project teams operate at a professional level. They are expected to adhere to schedules, produce meaningful deliverables, and engage with key stakeholders. UNITAR aims to achieve four goals through this initiative: (i) Joint Research Publications: We can collaborate on publishing project outcomes in academic journals or industry publications, crediting lecturers, students, and your organization as co-authors; (ii) Investment in Teaching and Learning (T&L): Your funding directly supports the development of future-ready skills for our lecturers and students, ensuring we remain at the forefront of industry trends; (iii) Knowledge Transfer: We encourage knowledge exchange through workshops, guest lectures, or other collaborative activities, allowing your expertise to directly benefit our students and faculty; (iv) Industry Recognition: Outstanding projects may be nominated for industry awards or receive recognition for their innovation, enhancing prestige for both your organization and the participating students.

6. An essential aspect of the project experience for UNITAR students is their immersion in the real world during project work. To achieve this effectively, the Employer or Partner Company should allocate time from their project/process owner, executive sponsor, or relevant senior management and technical staff to engage with students and lecturers throughout the entire project life cycle.

7. To ensure effective collaboration and successful project execution. Each project has at least three different pre-arranged/scheduled project meetings between the Employer or Partner Company and Lecturer. Each project meeting is within 1 to 1.5 hours (maximum per meeting):

7. • Project Kick-Off (KO) Date: This phase can be conducted online or on-campus. Employers are invited to explain their company and project requirements. It sets the foundation for the project.

   • Project Mid-Checkpoint (CP) Date: Also conducted online or on-campus. The student group presents their work to employers. Employers provide feedback to assess whether the project is on-track or off-track against its objectives.

   • Project Completion Delivery (CD) Date: Ideally held at the employer’s office or boardroom. A select project team presents and delivers the project’s outcomes or deliverables. 

8. After the project delivery date, the employer or partner will issue certificates or letters of project completion, appreciation, or recognition to individual members of the project team and their lecturer. Additionally, the employer may choose to offer the best-performing student a job or internship, provide a conditional employment offer, or present an industry project award during the student convocation.

9. The employer or partner company project owner will take on a multifaceted role, acting as an industry advisor, coach, and mentor to the students as they complete their research project. 

10. We highly value and recognize the contributions of our Employer or Partner Company who participate in this strategic initiative. Your involvement will be recorded and appreciated by the UNITAR Leadership Team. Here are some specific ways we acknowledge your contributions:

• Joint Research Publications: We can collaborate on publishing project outcomes in academic journals or industry publications, crediting lecturers, students, and your organization as co-authors.

• Investment in Teaching and Learning (T&L): Your funding directly supports the development of future-ready skills for our lecturers and students, ensuring we remain at the forefront of industry trends.

• Knowledge Transfer: We encourage knowledge exchange through workshops, guest lectures, forums, focus group discussion, or other collaborative activities, allowing your expertise to directly benefit our students and faculty.

• Industry Recognition: Outstanding projects may be nominated for industry awards or receive recognition for their innovation, enhancing prestige for both your organization and the participating students.

11. Students and lecturers involved in this project will make every effort to safeguard the employer’s interests. They will not share the content of their project findings and reports with individuals or other employers outside of UNITAR and its partner universities without the permission of the Employer or Partner Company. The Intellectual Property exclusively belongs to the employer or partner company who provided this project.

12. UNITAR students or lecturers may sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the employer/partner.

13. UNITAR may showcase the outcome of the Employer Research Project, including your organization's logo, for presentations, marketing, and publicity purposes. We will ensure all sensitive data or private and confidential information belonging to our Employer or Partner Company is excluded from these materials.

14. After the project completion and final presentation by the project team, the employer or partner company will provide feedback on the students’ performance during the project.

15. For effective project management and successful outcomes. Employer, Partner Company, and Lecturer to remember and adhere to or follow the following schedule and timeline for:

• Project Proposal Sourcing and Curriculum Mapping Dates:

  • For September intake: June, July, August

  • For January intake: October, November, December

  • For May intake: February, March, April

• Project Kick-Off Dates:

  • September/October

  • January/February

  • May/June

• Project Innovation Showcase and Exhibition:

  • March

  • July

  • November

16. Given below is the complete documentation of an Employer Project Research Proposal.

GLOBAL PROBLEM: 90% of employers are looking for practical experience than academic qualifications. Students are ill prepared and do not know what they really want to do; 88% of employers say that soft skills are more important than academic results. Employer trust and confidence in Higher Education is low. Fresh graduates are not ready and competent to work. Students, Lecturers and Employers must have a platform to collaborate in crafting a solution from “outside-in” perspective attempting to provide solution to the problems and challenges of the employers and industry. Employer owns the project and own the intellectual property.

OUR SOLUTION: Students and lecturers will engage in practical experiential learning focused on the PAIN POINTS of the company for problem-solving and problem-finding aligned and mapped in their courses, sponsored and facilitated by employers from various industry sectors. Employers will present real-world problems related to products or services directly to students and lecturers in the classroom. Working in project teams, students will conduct research to identify and understand these problems, approaching them from an external perspective rather than an internal one. Project teams will receive a preparatory session from the employer, hold mid-checkpoint review meetings to align expectations, and ultimately present their innovative collaborative solutions to employers in a corporate boardroom setting. This experience gives students and lecturers a taste of boardroom dynamics and professional presentation skills. This approach benefits all parties involved—employers, lecturers, and students—by facilitating potential career matches early, fostering career conversations, and expediting hiring decisions. The Employer Project Research initiative is UNITAR's unique method of integrating career readiness solutions into our curriculum, ensuring that our students develop future-proof talent. It represents a genuine innovation and collaboration between employers and academia, providing students with real workplace experience from the classroom to the boardroom.

We invite employers and partners to submit their project proposal and we will have a deep dive with our lecturers solving the PAIN POINTS of your business and industry sectors where you are in. Employer intervention is what we needed to prepare and spot the talent that the employer needs.

Click and download this as your reference sample for Employer Project proposal document.

Click and download this as your reference for Lecturer's Employer Project Requirements Specification Document to be shared to all students (Mapping the Project to their Courses Learning Outcomes.

Click this link to submit your project proposal online.