The abyss between theory and practice in business education: a reflection from teaching in Brazilian and German institutions of higher education

Abstract

This conceptual point-of-view essay focuses on the authors’ teaching experiences in undergraduate business education at Brazilian and German Universities. In line with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and based on autoethnographical writing, the paper explores the question of how university business education professors can help their students become more prepared for the job market by establishing university–industry partnerships. This discussion fills a particularly pertinent gap regarding knowledge transfer, skill development, and discrepancies between academic expectations in relation to practice-based education, as well as professors’ pedagogical sensibility for students’ preparation in higher education. Overall, the significance of the research lies in the potential to improve the effectiveness and relevance of business education. This can lead to more effective knowledge transfer and skill development among students. The study concludes by stressing the importance of university–industry collaborations for academics and students. Students might be better prepared for job employment in such situations.