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Industrial Affiliates Program

An innovative model of active learning that blends theory with practice.

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IAP at a Glance

The Industrial Affiliates Program (IAP) is an innovative model of active learning that addresses today’s pressing need to blend theory with practice, education with work, and academic scientific rigor with industry’s fast pace. Founded in 1988 by the ECE department, the program is fully sponsored by corporations which work jointly with faculty at UPRM.

Program Logistics

Proposals are submitted annually by faculty and company representatives. Selected projects receive funding of up to $5,000. Participating students are responsible for carrying out their projects under the guidance of professors. IAP holds two meetings a year: poster presentations during the Fall Meeting and oral reports during the Spring Annual Conference. For the students this is a great opportunity to present their work to industry representatives, faculty, and to other students. During its twenty-five years of existence IAP has had over 800 participating undergraduate students and obtained, as a result of the projects, donations for ECE department in excess of $200,000 in equipment and $750,000 in cash.

Student Benefits

  • Participating students expand the horizons of their formal academic studies through applied educational activities and exposure to new technologies.
  • They test their capacity to work independently and interdependently at solving real problems and presenting their solutions to the public.
  • In the process, they develop crucial skills including critical and creative thinking, teamwork, communication, organizational and experimentation skills, making them more competitive for their professional life.

Industry Benefits

  • Access to students trained with industry-specific skills not acquired in a typical classroom setting.
  • Enhanced interview process in which the company gets to know candidates for a whole year before interviews.
  • Companies acquire enhanced visibility within the student population at large.
  • Companies get easier access to faculty with compatible interests and early access to student resumes.

Sponsors