Designing real-world learning through industry collaboration at McMaster.

“I have used Riipen to recruit partner companies for the course project in my digital marketing courses for five years.”

For Dr. Ruhai Wu, Associate Professor of Marketing at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, experiential learning has become a cornerstone of how students develop practical, career-relevant skills. His approach reflects a belief that business education must extend beyond lectures and theory, giving students opportunities to work with real organizations and navigate real-world challenges.

Dr. Wu’s path to McMaster was shaped by both academic ambition and global circumstance. After earning his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, he taught economics in Florida for three years before realizing his interests aligned more closely with business education.

Since joining McMaster, Dr. Wu has been intentional about moving away from purely lecture-based teaching. Instead, he has emphasized experiential learning that allows students to deepen their understanding of marketing by collaborating with local businesses and applying theory in real-world contexts.

Discovering Riipen as a solution to scale experiential learning.

Dr. Wu’s interest in experiential learning led him to design a digital marketing course built around field-based projects. While the approach was effective, it quickly revealed a challenge. Sourcing enough employer partners for students, particularly in areas like web design and paid advertising, was difficult and often limited to his personal network.

That changed when he discovered Riipen, recalling how, “Riipen really surprised me. It was much easier to find companies. All I had to do was post my project, and I received quite a lot of companies interested in collaborating.”

Suddenly, Dr. Wu was connecting students with 5 to 10 companies each semester, relieving the administrative burden of partner sourcing and allowing him to focus on teaching and learning outcomes. As his success grew, so did interest from colleagues. Initially, questions arose about why he was the only faculty member using the platform. With support from Riipen’s customer success team, he began encouraging other faculty to adopt the same approach, leading to broader institutional engagement and a shared account for the school.

Reflecting on Riipen’s role in education, he says, “Riipen has made a really meaningful contribution to education. It’s a wonderful, really important mission.” When asked about alignment between McMaster and Riipen, his response was simple. “We’re doing the same thing in knowledge dissemination.”

Creating value for students and employers alike.

For Dr. Wu, successful experiential learning depends on meaningful collaboration with employers who set realistic goals and are invested in student success. He estimates that “70% of the cases had our students actually achieve the company goals,” noting that companies benefit directly from student contributions while students gain applied experience. “It’s a win-win. In fact, every year, some companies recruit my students.”

Recognizing the limited timeframe of student projects, Dr. Wu has developed a detailed process to set expectations early. This includes interviewing employers, clarifying project scope, and ensuring alignment between company needs and student capabilities. In some cases, company owners/founders, though eager to promote business through digital ads, initially know little about how digital advertising works. Through guided conversations, expectations were adjusted, leading to clearer goals and a better match between students and the project.

These structured interactions help ensure students are set up for success while maintaining the integrity of the learning experience.

Expanding experiential learning through McMaster's upcoming courses.

Looking ahead, Dr. Wu is exploring new ways to deepen his collaboration with Riipen, particularly through microcredential programs designed to measure and enhance learning outcomes in digital marketing.

One upcoming course, Digital Marketing for Small and Medium-sized Businesses Growth, is expected to launch soon. The course is designed for entrepreneurs and senior business managers transitioning from traditional marketing to digital channels. It includes 15 to 20 hours of flexible training, lecture videos, and practice exercises, supported by an AI coaching tool built specifically around the course content. A field project component involves students in developing a digital marketing campaign, followed by a one-on-one consultation with professional experts.

A second course, AI Essentials for Marketing Professionals, focuses on helping business managers understand how to use AI effectively and responsibly. Dr. Wu emphasizes that while AI can simulate creativity, it does not replace human intent or judgment. Instead, the course explores how professionals can guide AI through better prompting and design thinking. During a trial launch, one involving a company that reduced its workforce by half while doubling output through effective AI use, underscoring the importance of thoughtful adoption.

From classroom projects to employment outcomes.

Dr. Wu has seen clear employment outcomes emerge from experiential learning on Riipen. In one case, a student refined a company’s website and ran an advertising campaign that generated revenue. The company then created a co-op role and eventually hired the student full-time. Similar successes have led companies to return for future collaborations, building trust and long-term partnerships.

“Students will gain employment because of the Riipen experience,” he says. “In fact, last week a student told me that what he learned from my course helped him get a digital marketing job.”

For Dr. Wu, the value of experiential learning extends beyond individual success stories. It reflects a broader need within higher education to connect learning with opportunity. “There’s a clear need for Riipen. Students need something like Riipen to help [them] and provide them with this matching opportunity.”

A shared mission for students, institutions, and employers.

When asked to give advice to institutions considering Riipen, Dr. Wu points to the alignment of purpose. “Our mission is the same as Riipen’s. What’s good for the students is good for the business, and good for the school.”

Through experiential learning, small and medium-sized businesses gain access to support and fresh perspectives, students develop employable skills, and institutions strengthen their role in preparing students for meaningful work. For Dr. Wu, Riipen has become an essential part of making that ecosystem possible, one real project at a time.

👉 Is your institution looking to get started with Riipen? Connect with our team now!

👉 Interested in professional development? Check out Dr. Ruhai's new programs here.