Liga Kamola, Anita Lice, Inga Lapina

Proceedings of the 29th World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics: WMSCI 2025, pp. 196-204 (2025); https://doi.org/10.54808/WMSCI2025.01.196

Liga Kamola
Faculty of Engineering Economics and Management, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia

Anita Lice
KPMG Latvia, Riga, Latvia

Inga Lapina
Faculty of Engineering Economics and Management, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia

Cite this paper as:
Kamola, L., Lice, A., Lapina, I. (2025). Dynamic Partnership Between Industry Stakeholders and Academia to Sustain a Resilient Framework for 21st-Century Higher Education in STEM. In N. Callaos, E. Gaile-Sarkane, N. Lace, B. Sánchez, M. Savoie (Eds.), Proceedings of the 29th World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics: WMSCI 2025, pp. 196-204. International Institute of Informatics and Cybernetics. https://doi.org/10.54808/WMSCI2025.01.196

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in Latvia stand out with an exceptionally high labour market demand for qualified specialists. At the same time, employers are not completely satisfied with the quality of student learning outcomes. The research is based on a literature review on the role of stakeholders’ engagement in addressing higher education challenges and the industry stakeholder engagement mechanisms, as well as expert interviews to investigate the existing collaboration mechanisms and opportunities for collaboration within the real-life context. The research describes an overall framework between higher education institutions (HEIs) and industry stakeholders to address the key challenges in STEM fields, and the priority areas for collaboration are identified. The paper provides conceptual insights and practical guidance for policymakers, academics, and industry partners who wish to strengthen the attraction of STEM talent to higher education and the labour market. This research is based on empirical data and insights from the Erasmus+ KA2 programme project “Building an Ecosystem for 21st Century Skills Education in STEM”.