The guide is based on the SUCSESS project, which funded a cooperative approach between universities in Finland, the UK and South Africa to share new and emerging pedagogies and new technologies for teaching in universities with a particular focus on developing employability skills and engaging with employers in the learning process.

The period 2020–2023 saw a tremendous amount of work done on the project through collaboration and knowledge sharing between the South African universities of Pretoria, Johannesburg and Zululand and universities from the global north, including Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Oulu University in Finland, and the UK-based Sheffield Hallam University. This partnership proved invaluable during a time when teaching and learning globally required a rethink due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was comprised of various work packages. In Work Package 1, primary research amongst students and lecturers
and industry was conducted, which identified the gaps in university/industry collaboration and made recommendations on increasing students’ employability.