Advancing graduate employability through global collaboration at Clemson University

A warm welcome to Clemson University, our new Accelerator member of the UIIN Community. Based in South Carolina, Clemson University is a nationally recognised, student-centred research university with a focus on STEM, entrepreneurship, and community engagement.

We sat down with Jenny Presgraves, Director of Professional Development and Well-being at Clemson University’s Graduate School, to learn how her team is building meaningful bridges between graduate students and industry. From community-driven training initiatives to navigating challenges in corporate engagement, Jenny shared how Clemson is rethinking professional development to empower students with the skills, networks, and experiences they need to thrive beyond academia.

The Professional Development and Well-being team at Clemson supports graduate students through a holistic approach that blends academic, personal, and career growth. With a focus on real-world readiness, the team creates opportunities that help students translate their skills into meaningful career paths.

From regional roots to global reach

Clemson University’s Graduate School has been deepening its efforts to bridge academic training with real-world impact. Through initiatives like Accelerate to Industry (A2i), Clemson supports PhD students in developing industry-facing skills and building networks beyond their disciplines. Complementing this, the university is a partner in NSF STRIDE, a programme that introduces early-career researchers to entrepreneurship and the process of commercialising research.

While these initiatives are strongly rooted in the South Carolina context, there is growing demand to expand beyond state lines. With R&D departments often located overseas, such as in Europe, and manufacturing in the US, Clemson is looking to strengthen relationships with large, multinational companies that can offer broader career opportunities and visa sponsorship for international graduates. Joining UIIN was a strategic move to learn from global practice, expand networks and build new pathways between doctoral education, entrepreneurship, and industry.

Empowering graduates through industry connections

Clemson University’s Graduate School places workforce development at the heart of its university–industry engagement strategy. The goal is to ensure that graduates, whether from master’s or PhD programmes, leave with the skills, awareness and confidence to pursue a broad range of career paths. Through Grad 360, a flagship initiative, students are encouraged to approach their growth holistically, integrating academic, personal, and professional development. Delivered through over 100 workshops each academic year and powered entirely by volunteer contributions, including from industry professionals, the programme reflects a deeply collaborative, community-driven model.

At the same time, Clemson continues to strengthen and expand its strategic partnerships with industry, recognising them as a cornerstone for funding major research initiatives. These collaborations are not only vital for research output, but also critical to opening career pathways and practical learning opportunities for the next generation of scholars and innovators.

It is a really beautiful community effort to see everyone coming together to help students get as much as they can out of their time at Clemson.

Jenny Presgraves, Director of Professional Development and Well-being at Clemson University’s Graduate School

Engaging beyond the classroom to shape career futures

One standout example of Clemson University’s university–industry engagement is its collaboration with analytics and AI leader SAS as part of the Accelerate to Industry (A2i) programme. Together, they organised a full-day site visit that introduced graduate students to a broad spectrum of industry roles and real-world career pathways. The day brought together professionals from SAS and its partner companies, alongside talent acquisition experts who offered guidance on positioning oneself for success beyond academia. What made the initiative especially impactful was its regional reach: SAS invited A2i students from across multiple universities, turning it into a shared learning experience for over 250 attendees.

This initiative reflects Clemson’s commitment to holistic graduate development and its belief in the power of community-driven learning. In doing so, Clemson reinforces a culture in which graduate education is not siloed but fully integrated with career ambition and individual growth.

Rethinking collaboration in an uncertain landscape

Driving meaningful university–industry engagement remains an ongoing challenge for Clemson University’s Graduate School, particularly in the context of graduate development. Unlike research partnerships, where mutual benefit is clearer, engagement focused on student training often relies on companies viewing it as a form of community service. As a result, it is frequently deprioritised, despite requiring significant time and coordination from the university’s side. While Clemson can offer access to talented students, this alone is not always enough to secure buy-in, especially from larger multinationals where identifying the right point of contact is itself a major barrier. In-state partners are more accessible, often due to existing alumni or research relationships, but deeper collaboration with the Graduate School remains limited.

These challenges are compounded by shifts in the US higher education landscape. Federal funding uncertainties and reduced student support are pushing institutions to explore new models. There is a growing sense that industry will play an increasingly central role, not just in partnerships, but in sustaining the future of graduate education itself.

We are going to have to really become creative about how we pay for things, and industry will be a big part of that solution.

Jenny Presgraves, Director of Professional Development and Well-being at Clemson University’s Graduate School

Clemson University is deepening its commitment to preparing graduate students for diverse careers through innovative, holistic initiatives, and by building a broader community of practice around this mission. By joining UIIN, the Graduate School seeks to connect with institutions across the globe to exchange ideas, foster long-term relationships, and strengthen approaches to university–industry collaboration, talent development, and graduate employability.

Looking to strengthen your university’s industry partnerships?

Discover how to move beyond ad hoc collaboration and build long-term, strategic alliances in our brief Building Strategic and Sustainable University–Industry Partnerships. Drawing on insights from over 15 UIIN consulting projects, this piece offers practical guidance to help university leaders create more resilient, impactful, and future-ready partnerships.

Pablo Morey (author) is a Junior Membership Experience Officer at UIIN.