Externship in Industry | Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs - University of the Philippines System

Home Grants & Awards Faculty, REPS and Administrative Staff Development Externship in Industry

Externships in industry not only help the University form strong linkages with leading key industries but also help bridge the gap between “classroom knowledge” and knowledge needed in actual practice. More industry- or market-driven research can thus be pursued in the university.

By interacting with industry and business professionals in the workplace, faculty members and researchers are able to:

–          Update themselves on current trends and advances in the field
–          Develop or upgrade their skills in curriculum development and pedagogy
–          Develop or upgrade their technical and instrumentation skills
–          Explore new useful applications of their fields
–          Understand the actual needs of industry.
–          Broaden their perspectives by learning from the academic culture of foreign universities and from the efficiency and productivity of industries

As a result, they become better equipped to:

–          Improve curriculum and teaching and learning in the classroom
–          Enrich courses with new materials and activities, and share their own research and creative output
–          Enrich their inter-cultural experience and share with students a more global or “glocal” perspective
–          Conduct high level research and creative work with foreign collaborators
–          Initiate and conduct needs-based research projects
–          Directly partner with industry for innovation
–          Design a curriculum that is responsive to industry demands
–          Eventually build their own business or enterprise.

Both local and international externships are supported. Considerable weight will be given to the impact or significance of the applicant’s research to advancing the goals of the unit or the department.

The program is envisioned to spur and nurture a culture of scholarship driven by individual commitment and determination. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that it will be animated by a system of continuous voluntary mentoring. This means that those who obtain financial support from UP for externship will be encouraged to fill in for the next batch of colleagues who will also leave for externship. That batch will then do the same for the one next in line, and so on. Such system will ensure that externships do not impede the teaching and research functions of the unit or department in the absence of a faculty member. More importantly, it will have a ripple effect, promoting the continuity of training given to and service given by the generations to come.

Because the idea is to encourage (and not require) service in real terms, another option is for the applicants to render overtime work as soon as they come back from the externship abroad. Extra work, however, will be measured not in terms of length or duration but in terms of the value of the work given. Thus, before applicants leave for externship (or even as early as the application stage), the unit must already have a clear vision of what it expects from them upon returning to the University. Aside from laying down clear-cut expectations, the unit must also make sure that the externship results in immediate and well-defined output. In other words, the unit must see to it that the programs would benefit both the individuals and the unit of which they are part.

Finally, it is important that the applicants understand their intellectual property rights before going on externship, in the same way that they understand the intellectual property rights of the host university, company or enterprise. As such, it might be necessary to first brief applicants before leaving so that infringement on rights by either party is avoided.

A. Eligibility

1. Support for externships is available to faculty members as well as Research, Extension and Professional Staff (REPS), including those who are enrolled in a masters or PhD program.
2. The applicant must be engaged in research or creative work that is significant to the unit or department.
3. Master’s and PhD students must have completed the core coursework before they can participate in UP-supported externships.
4. The type of support would depend on the location of the externship but in general would cover transportation to and from the location of placement, daily allowance and, if applicable, visa fees, airfare and accommodation. For foreign externships, placements made in the ASEAN will be prioritized.

B. Application process

1. Application for support can be filed at the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA) only upon the approval of the unit/supervising faculty member/thesis adviser and acceptance for externship in the industry.
2. It is the responsibility of the applicants to find a placement on their own.
3. Host company must provide a Letter of Acceptance and specify the expected duties and responsibilities of the applicant during the externship.
4. The duration of the externship, which could last from a few weeks to six months, is subject to the approval of the unit/supervising faculty member/thesis adviser.

C. Terms and conditions

1. Applicants and their unit/supervising faculty member/thesis adviser must come up with a concrete action plan based on what is expected of the applicants after the externship. The plan must also specify the applicants’ immediate output upon returning to the University.
2. Applicants must be able to show in the application how they intend to continue the culture of mentoring and scholarship in the unit: by substituting for the next batch that will leave for externship, by working overtime, or through other similar ways.
3. The unit/supervising faculty member/thesis adviser shall be responsible for coordinating with the applicants on the progress of the externship. Any issue or concern that may arise during placement shall be addressed directly to the unit/supervising faculty member/thesis adviser.
4. Applicants must submit a brief written report on the experiences and important lessons gained from the externship and how such can be best applied to duties or responsibilities in the University.

Please see attached updated rationale, guidelines and application form:
Rationale
Guidelines for Externship in Industry
Form 11.7 Application Form for Externship in Industry