The mediating role of internal quality assurance cells in the relationship between university–industry collaboration and graduate employability outcomes

Graduate employability Outcomes (GEO) is a crucial issue in emerging countries, where skill gaps and unemployment among university graduates are consistently rising. In this context, higher education institutions (HEIs) play a pivotal role in developing a strategic approach to fill the gap through collaboration between academia and industry. Nowadays, every higher education institution in emerging countries has an internal quality assurance cell (IQAC), and they play a critical role in ensuring continuous improvement, stakeholder engagement, and curriculum development. However, despite the growing relevance of this issue, limited empirical studies have been conducted on the mediating role of IQAC in the relationship between industry and academia for confirming graduate employability in an emerging economy, like Bangladesh. The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of IQAC, including university curriculum (UC), job scholars’ opportunities (JSO), on the association between university-industry collaboration (UIC), and university GEO in Bangladesh, using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) under the quantitative research approach. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from university graduates, faculty members, and administrative staff. The empirical evidence reveals that UIC significantly contributes to GEO; moreover, IQAC plays a substantial mediating role, including UC and JSO. The findings of the study offer practical contributions for higher educational institutions (HEIs), policymakers, and industry experts to continuously improve graduate employability outcomes, such as practical competencies, skills development, and job readiness.