AMSTERDAM, March 7 (Bernama) -- International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed wants local industries to be more open to university students to allow them exposure to industry as done in the Netherlands. "We do not have a tradition of involvement of lecturers and students to have close relations with industries," he said in a meeting with Malaysian students studying in the Netherlands here Sunday.

Mustapa is on a eight-day trade and investment mission to three main European cities, namely Amsterdam, Hamburg (Germany) and Birmingham (United Kingdom).

He said industries had voiced that the number of students who did practical training was too high, almost a million, and this burdened them.

They also saw no relevance of lecturers and students to the development of their company in the future, he said.

"That is among their reasons," said Mustapa.

He said industries should actually be aware of the long term value that they can obtain by having liaison with lecturers and students early on.

"In Holland the industries consider it their responsibility to benefit themselves and the country in general," he said, adding that there must be more aggression in engaging industries.

"If need be go to the media if industries refuse to cooperate," said the minister.

Earlier, the students suggested industries in Malaysia emulate those in Holland which had close relations with students while still at secondary school level.

They said students in Holland were more experienced as they were exposed to "live projects" by industries.

"The chief executive officer of companies like KLM Royal Dutch Airlines; the operator of the Amsterdam airport, Schiphol Group; and others will come if invited.

"They give lectures as early as 8am. Not paid. Its voluntary. What's given is a cup of coffee. In Malaysia, it cannot be assured that a chief executive officer will entertain an invitation from a student," one student said.

-- BERNAMA