University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) has signed a strategic partnership with Samsung Heavy Industries India (SHI-I) to expand industry-aligned education through its Work-Integrated Learning for Leadership (WILL) initiative. This marks a deeper push into workplace-embedded higher education.

 

Formalised via a Memorandum of Understanding, the collaboration will give SHI-I employees access to structured higher education and skill-development programmes while continuing their professional roles. The initiative is aimed at strengthening continuous capability building within the organisation.

 

Under the partnership, UPES will deliver a portfolio of online degree and certification programmes through WILL across high-demand domains including power management, oil and gas, logistics and supply chain, infrastructure management, AI/ML, data science, and cyber security. The programmes are designed to combine academic rigour with practical, industry-relevant application.

 

The agreement also opens pathways to part-time PhD programmes, enabling employees to pursue research-led learning focused on solving real-world industry challenges.

 

Employees of Samsung Heavy Industries India will receive a 20% fee waiver across programmes, along with flexible learning options such as weekend live sessions, recorded lectures, and online assessments.

 

Sunil Rai, Vice Chancellor, UPES, said, “The future of learning lies in how seamlessly it integrates with the workplace. Through our work-integrated learning initiatives, we are building a model where education is not separate from work but embedded within it. This partnership with Samsung Heavy Industries India is a strong step towards enabling continuous capability building and creating a workforce that is future ready.”

 

Ryan Park, Managing Director, Samsung Heavy Industries India, said, “In a rapidly evolving industrial landscape, continuous learning is critical to staying competitive. Our collaboration with UPES enables our workforce to access structured, high-quality education while continuing to contribute to business outcomes. This partnership aligns strongly with our focus on capability building and long-term talent development.”

 

The WILL initiative is positioned as a bridge between academia and industry, embedding learning directly into the workplace to support organisations in building future-ready talent through continuous learning, domain specialisation, and leadership development.

 

The collaboration reflects a broader shift in higher education toward flexible, industry-integrated models designed to keep pace with changing workforce demands.