One of the foremost packaging companies in the UAE, Hotpack Global, has agreed to collaborate with Middlesex University Dubai by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to further improve the research and innovation aspect within the packaging industry. Such a strategic partnership will help strengthen industrial collaborations, create highly valuable knowledge-sharing opportunities, and better equip students for the employment market.
The partnership would focus on research initiatives and talent quality in the packaging industry by Hotpack Global, through which benefits in research initiatives are to be promoted and talent quality improved. Such collaboration is likely to lead to development and innovation in joint academic and applied research projects aimed at solving current challenges such as sustainable manufacturing, promotion of a circular economy.
Faculty and students of Middlesex University Dubai will work closely with Hotpack to develop realistic solutions to real-life packaging problems. They also will jointly develop tailor-made short courses and certification programmes focusing on sustainable packaging and supply chain management.
"Partnering with Middlesex University Dubai is a significant milestone for us. The cooperation will keep us at the forefront of packaging innovation and nurture future talent, basically focusing the work of this center on the academic front by keeping in mind the requirements of the industry for our continued success", Mr. Abdul Jebbar PB, Group CEO, and Managing Director of Hotpack Global stated.
Through this partnership, Hotpack will gain access to a rich source of knowledge concerning the world of academia and innovative research studies and findings on sustainable manufacturing and supply chain strategies. In turn, Middlesex University students will be given practical industry exposure by way of internship and placement at facilities of Hotpack. Guest lectures and workshops conducted by Hotpack executives will facilitate constant dialogue between the academia and industry. Both sides will be held responsible to develop and publish case studies detailing the activities of Hotpack.
According to Professor Cedwyn Fernandes, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Director of Middlesex University Dubai, the partnership represents great excitement, stating: "By joining hands with Hotpack Global, a giant in the packaging sector, we once again reaffirm our commitment toward bridging the gap between academia and industry. In return, this represents exposure for students to real-world challenges as well as being equipped hands-on".
Celebrating students' achievement in this regard, Dr. Sreejith Balasubramanian, associate professor and head of the Centre for Supply Chain Excellence says that collaboration will serve to enhance the skills of students and further their professional networks as they prepare for work in the competitive global marketplace.
Engaging the community, said Mr Zainuddin P.B., Group Executive Director of Hotpack Global, "We look at the benefits that both parties will reap from such a collaboration. We want to prepare the workforce of tomorrow with on-the-job education. This is a relationship with Middlesex University Dubai, one that can be the benchmark in a corporate-academic partnership in the UAE today".
To be explicit, the partnership signals the beginning of long-term commitment by Hotpack Global and Middlesex University Dubai to tap into the intricacies of its academic acumen and industry insights for mutual growth. Hotpack continues to pursue practices that will foster community development and cultivate a more supportive environment for succeeding generations in an increasingly competitive global landscape.
Hotpack Global is a leading food-packaging products manufacturer in the Middle East, with over 4,000 SKUs portfolio and employing over 4,000 people. The company sells its products in over 106 countries and has 16 regions under it, stretching across the region from the Middle East to the UK, US, India, Malaysia, and Africa.
