BANGI, 5 August, 2010 – The university is the perfect place to carry out innovations as the people of Malaysia just like those in the United States of America are becoming more aware of its importance.

Stressing this, the Interim President of Stevens Institute of Technology (SIT) United States, George P Korfiatis said the success of University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in exploiting innovations means that it is adding one more pillar to the university in research, education and marketing of products from innovatiions.

He assured that  collaboration between UKM and STI will continue as he is impressed with the advanced thinking of the country’s and the university’s leaderships over innovations and its relationship with other  institutions of higher learning.

“UKM and STI share the same aligned views and purpose in incorporating entrepreneurship and innovation in the university and we have made the committment to continue. It is important to have the committment  to carry on with innovatons,” he said.

Korfiatis said that there is a cultural change among the people not only in Malaysia but especially in the United States for pushing the innovation agenda for some time already and would like it addressed within the framework of a university.

“The university is the perfect place to do that because we have been creating the next generation of leaders who in 10 or 20 years will be carrying the brunt of transfering innovations developed within the university to the public,” he said.

On the UKM-SIT Capacity Building Programme attended by 100 would-be entrepreneurs in three modules from Jun to early August held  dt UKM, Korfiatis said what is important is using and turning some of the technologies into profitable businesses.

SIT will also continue the programme of capacity building for innovations with UKM and hope to bring in the other universities  to share the benefit of utilising innovation for business ventures.

On cooperation in education, he said 20 Malaysian students are now studying in SIT in the United States.

   
SIT is also prepared to help UKM organise  a training programme to train teachers to inculcate innovation and entrepreneurship awareness among students. In New Jersey alone SIT has helped to train 19,000 school teachers in the subject.

UKM and SIT officials today discussed the summary of findings of their collaborative venture to map out a follow-up strategy to go forward following the closing of the UKM-SIT Capacity Building Programme.

The Vice Chancellor UKM, Tan Sri Prof. Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hassan Shahabuddin, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation Affairs ) Prof Dr Rahmah Mohamed, Prof.Dato Mohd Noor Embi, Director for Centre for Collaborative Innovation and Prof Dr Fauzias Mat Nor, Dean Graduate School of Business attended the meeting.

Besides Mr Korfiatis, SIT was represented by Mr Malcolm Kahn, Dr Lex McCusker, Professor Dr Christos Christodoulatos, Professor Dr Murrae Bowden,Professor Dr Peter Koen, Professor Dr Gary Lynn and Professor Dr Elliot Fishman.