Educators are challenged to keep courses relevant amid fast-changing technology and knowledge, yet systematic approaches for continuous course updates remain underdeveloped. To address this gap, we propose the Course Development-Quality Function Deployment (CD-QFD) framework, which adapts organizational QFD principles that center on creating value for customers as a core objective. Our objective is to provide educators with a streamlined, student-centered framework that can guide the continuous alignment of courses with evolving competency requirements. Methodologically, CD-QFD integrates insights from internal and external sources to identify learner competencies and map them onto interconnected matrices that align with the QFD principles. A case study of digital literacy course development for healthcare workers illustrates the practical deployment of CD-QFD. The contribution of this work lies in offering a systematic, discipline-neutral process for curriculum development that enables educators to refine competencies into specific subject areas, topics, modules, sections, and, finally, lesson objectives.

This research investigates the influence of integrating digital accounting tools on accounting graduates’ career readiness. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire administered to advanced-stage accounting students and accounting professionals in Jordan with a sample of 357 participants. Data were analyzed in Smart PLS and Stata software. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the structural models and hypotheses. The findings demonstrated a significant and positive relationship between the integration and usage of digital accounting tools and career readiness. They indicated that perceptions and experiences improved the perceived career readiness. The results also showed that best practices were significantly and positively associated with the integration and usage of digital accounting tools. Nevertheless, challenges and barriers had no impact on the integration and usage of digital accounting tools. This study is among the initial studies in Jordan examining how digital accounting tools enhance career readiness. It provides beneficial academic and practical insights into the integration of digital accounting tools, and how to boost the career readiness of accounting graduates in Jordan.

This study investigates how effectively Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in India, particularly in the Lucknow region, prepare engineering and management students with employability skills. While situated in a specific regional context, the research offers broader theoretical and practical insights into curriculum–industry alignment, pedagogical disparities between disciplines, and the role of institutional support in skill development—issues relevant to HEIs in emerging economies worldwide. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative survey data and qualitative feedback from students and educators. The survey assessed students’ perceptions of curriculum emphasis on employability-related skills-technical, soft, and practical using a Likert scale. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, comparative analysis, and t-tests, while qualitative responses were thematically coded. Findings indicate that students generally have a positive self-perception regarding soft skills such as teamwork, social interaction, self-concept, and self-control. However, they express low confidence in job search skills like resume writing and interview preparation. Notably, 55% of students felt inadequately prepared by their academic curriculum for current industry demands, indicating a misalignment between academic training and market expectations. While students reported supportive teacher engagement in areas like communication, self-management, and independent learning, gaps remain in problem-solving, creativity, and ICT proficiency. This research is among the first post-NEP 2020 studies focusing on employability in the Lucknow region. It highlights the need for HEIs—especially engineering programs—to integrate more hands-on learning, internships, industry partnerships, and career support compared to management curricula to enhance graduate employability.

In an increasingly dynamic and technology-driven labour market, the development and assessment of soft skills have gained significant relevance. While higher education institutions (HEIs) play a pivotal role in preparing students for professional challenges, concerns persist regarding the alignment between the skills students develop and those expected by employers. This study investigates whether students’ perceptions of employers’ expectations are aligned with their self-assessments of soft skills, and if those perceptions vary according to gender and level of professional experience. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 384 students from a Portuguese HEI. Results reveal a statistically significant gap between what students believe employers expect and how well they feel they meet those expectations. Gender-based differences emerged, with male students emphasising strategic and instrumental skills, while female students reporting higher confidence in relational competencies. The study also finds that students with higher self-perceived skills are more willing to invest financially in further development. These findings reinforce the need for HEIs to adopt more targeted and inclusive strategies for soft skills development, in close collaboration with employers. The study contributes to the growing discourse on graduate employability and offers practical implications for curriculum design and career readiness initiatives.

This study examines the application of Six Sigma and DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) for data-driven decision making in higher education. The framework is widely used in industry but practiced less in colleges and universities for affecting student success. Institutions face increasing pressure to improve retention and graduation rates of students. The challenge for leaders is how to convert data inputs and insights into initiatives that will impact performance. This paper reports on experience using Six Sigma and DMAIC at Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW), Americus, GA, a regional university of more than 4000 students, with programs in Business, Education, Liberal Arts, and Nursing. The exercise specifically addresses the management question – Why do students leave before graduating? The investigation uses data collected on GSW student populations during the period Fall 2014 to Fall 2023 and applies Six Sigma and DMAIC tools to develop a data-driven roadmap for improvement. The study suggests that Six Sigma and the DMAIC approach are applicable to issues in higher education. The conclusion is that this framework can be used to examine processes and implement changes for improvement. The findings have implications for institutions of higher education that seek to use data to drive actions for student success.

This study examines the extent and implications of skills mismatch between employer expectations and graduate competencies in the context of Bangladesh. Using a structured quantitative approach, data were collected from 85 employers across various industries through a survey instrument that assessed the importance of key employability skills and graduates’ proficiency levels. Findings revealed significant gaps, particularly in analytical thinking, problem-solving, technical competence, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills, with an average skills mismatch of 60.78%. Paired sample t-test confirmed the mismatch as highly significant ( p < 0.05). Comparative analysis with international contexts indicates similarities with global trends where rapidly evolving industries outpace educational curricula. However, distinct regional challenges in Bangladesh, including outdated teaching methods, limited industry-academia collaboration, and cultural undervaluation of vocational education, intensify the problem. Recommendations emphasize curriculum modernization, vocational training enhancement, and strengthening industry-education partnerships. Adapting successful international practices, such as Germany’s dual education model, could effectively reduce these gaps. Ultimately, addressing the identified mismatch will significantly improve graduate employability and contribute positively to sustainable economic development.

This study examined the requirements of IT employers for university graduates on hard and soft skills, courses, and internships. The researchers examined important skills and tools in the labour market and attitudes toward various courses and internships. After conducting qualitative interviews with 10 employers in the IT field and thematic analysis, several key points were identified. Firstly, mathematical, fundamental, or deep knowledge of one programming language is more important to employers than basic skills in several programming languages. The importance of English language, algorithmisation, programming logic, and the logic of previously written programming code was also emphasised. Secondly, soft skills like communication, adaptation, teamwork, and time management are crucial, but employers also mentioned the importance of emotional intelligence, prioritising tasks, and desire to develop and learn. Thirdly, employers have a critical attitude towards courses and internships because there are many factors, such as direction, quality, content, and the type of final certification. The paper discusses the problems and opportunities of universities and students for successful training and employment, and the results will be useful in IT education.

This study addresses the critical gaps in integrating global Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG-4) with India’s National Education Policy 2020 (NEP-2020) to enhance service quality in higher education, using Chhattisgarh State as a strategic case study representative of India’s socio-economic diversity. Employing a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, 500 stakeholders were surveyed, and 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted across 10 institutions in Chhattisgarh. Multiple regression analysis revealed that reliability, assurance, and responsiveness significantly predict stakeholder satisfaction, while tangible infrastructure inadequacy emerged as the primary constraint. Urban institutions significantly outperformed rural counterparts across all service quality dimensions, with pronounced digital access disparities threatening equitable policy implementation. Thematic analysis identified critical gaps between expectations and execution, governance rigidities, and insufficient multi-stakeholder collaboration mechanisms. The study proposes an evidence-based Multi-Stakeholder Integration Model emphasizing collaborative governance structures, phased implementation roadmaps, targeted infrastructure investments, and systematic capacity building. Findings demonstrate that authentic stakeholder participation accelerates innovation adoption and enhances institutional agility. This study advances integrated policy implementation research while providing institutional leaders, policymakers, and industry partners with actionable frameworks for strengthening academia-industry collaboration. The findings offer replicable strategies for enhancing graduate employability and industry relevance, which are central concerns for developing nations transitioning to knowledge economies.

University–industry collaboration is widely regarded as a critical driver of innovation in fast-evolving fields like information and communication technologies (ICT). Patent filings offer a valuable window into this innovation landscape, as they capture codified technological outputs and knowledge transfer activities. In this study, we focus on the Netherlands as a case study, given its strong academic research base and active ICT sector, to examine the gap between university and industry contributions to ICT-related patents. We adopt a dual-theory framework of Absorptive Capacity and Optimal Distinctiveness to interpret collaboration dynamics. Absorptive Capacity theory highlights the ability of firms to assimilate and exploit external knowledge, while Optimal Distinctiveness theory addresses the need for organizations (like universities and firms) to balance conformity and uniqueness in collaborations. We assembled a dataset of 2022 ICT-related patents (2014–2024) from the Lens database, classified by CPC technology categories. The results reveal significant collaboration gaps. Universities in the Netherlands exhibit substantial innovative activity in certain ICT domains (e.g., artificial intelligence and computer vision), yet lag behind industry in others (e.g., hardware technologies), indicating a misalignment in focus. Co-applicant university–industry patents are relatively scarce, suggesting that academic and corporate inventors often work in parallel rather than jointly. These findings underscore a persistent collaboration gap in the Dutch ICT patent landscape. By applying Absorptive Capacity and Optimal Distinctiveness as lenses, we argue that this gap reflects both limited knowledge absorption between sectors and challenges in balancing academic distinctiveness with industrial relevance. The study highlights the need for strategies to enhance knowledge exchange and bridge university–industry divides in technology innovation.

This case study introduces a complementary approach to teaching entrepreneurial education through practice in a region with low economic diversity. This study pairs graduate fellow researchers from the Mike Loya Center for Innovation and Commerce with the Office of Technology Commercialization, and connects technologies developed at the University of Texas at El Paso with students seeking to understand what is needed to start a company. We utilized an interdisciplinary cohort to apply practical entrepreneurial education by applying theory to practice. The outcome is students who understand market positions, regulatory compliance, and challenges in developing a technology into a new economic driver for the region. This process is laid out and reproducible for other universities seeking to develop practical entrepreneurial education in areas of low economic diversity. The project pairs students in entrepreneurial fellowships with the technology transfer office to apply pedagogical education to practical application. This study demonstrates alternatives to internships in a region with low entrepreneurial activity and a risk-averse environment for skill development for students interested in entrepreneurship as a path to employment.