Friday, October 14, 2011

Innovation in college education needed

By INA HERNANDO-MALIPOT
October 14, 2011, 3:19pm
 
MANILA, Philippines — To boost the country’s drive for growth and global competitiveness, the higher educational system in the Philippines needs to be more responsive to labor market demands and the economy and address skill gaps, improve the quality of higher education graduates, and increasing research relevant to economic needs in a few universities or departments, a World Bank report suggested.

The World Bank East Asia and Pacific Regional Report, titled “Putting Higher Education to Work: Skills and Research for Growth in East Asia,” was presented at a briefing held in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Thursday.

World Bank East Asia and Pacific Regional Vice President James Adams, along with authors of the report, lead economist Emanuela di Gropello and economist Prateek Tandon, discussed the findings via video conference from Tokyo, Japan.

The report, which looked at higher education in East Asia, said that the Philippines “has started climbing the technology ladder and assimilated important technologies by becoming more open, developing infrastructure and improving its manufacturing industry.”

Nevertheless, the country needs to further improve its capacity for innovation in order to rise up the income ladder,” the report said.

The findings of the report were based on how higher education in East Asia changed over the years, how it will continue to evolve, and how it can be improved to be more responsive and relevant to the needs of the labor market and the economy.

It also highlighted the functional skills that workers must possess to be employable and how can higher education systems produce research that will help apply, adapt, and develop new technologies that will drive growth.
 

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