STRENGTHENING ENGINEERING EDUCATION THROUGH INDUSTRIAL COLLABORATIONS WITHIN THE CDIO FRAMEWORK

Industrial collaboration has become a cornerstone of modern engineering education, ensuring that students graduate with both technical competence and professional readiness. This study examines how structured industrial collaboration operationalizes the CDIO framework at the Australian University (AU) in Kuwait through a longitudinal institutional case study covering the period 2015–2025. It analyzes how industry engagement is integrated across multiple channels, including Industrial Advisory Boards (IABs), field trips, internships, industry-linked project-based learning (PBL), capstone projects, and research partnerships. These initiatives collectively support the Conceive–Design–Implement–Operate (CDIO) framework, providing students with authentic contexts in which to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world engineering challenges. Students conceive problems under the guidance of industry mentors and through structured field visits that expose them to operational and environmental constraints. In PBL and capstone courses, they design and implement feasible solutions to employer-defined briefs, often using real datasets and industry standards. At the same time, collaboration with practitioners enhances their design thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. Through joint research and student–faculty co-authored publications, results are disseminated and evaluated to support continuous improvement. Evidence of impact includes data from 633 internship placements, 178 industrial judges evaluating graduation projects, and 205 students co-authoring 62 publications between 2015 and 2025. Early indicators reveal measurable improvements in employability, innovation, and teamwork, supported by structured feedback loops and accreditation-aligned evaluation. This study concludes that embedding industrial collaboration throughout the CDIO cycle strengthens learning, enhances professional competence, and offers a transferable model for universities seeking to modernize engineering curricula aligned with Industry 5.0 priorities.