An Industry-Engaged Project-Based Learning Module for Undergraduates: Polyimide Films as a Case Study in Scientific and Engineering Thinking

Undergraduate laboratory and project-based learning (PBL) activities can be effective for skill development, yet they often lack sustained industry engagement and explicit structures that connect scientific reasoning with engineering-oriented decision making. This paper reports an Open Innovative Experiment model that integrates Science–Industry–Education collaboration into a course-level PBL framework for undergraduate training. Using polyimide films with tunable branching as a representative case study, students completed a structured workflow that combined laboratory preparation/characterization with simulation-assisted interpretation to examine how structure and testing configurations influence dielectric breakdown behavior. Implementation of the model through an industry-engaged, dual-mentor structure enabled authentic problem contexts and constraints while maintaining nonproprietary boundaries. Student and industry-partner feedback, together with course-level outcomes, indicated strengthened experimental competency, improved awareness of reliability/quality considerations, and enhanced ability to translate classroom knowledge into practice. The model provides a transferable approach for incorporating industry engagement into undergraduate experimental curricula in applied chemistry and related disciplines.