Poor knowledge transfer ¡®a barrier¡¯ to emerging economies¡¯ growth

Universities in emerging economies still face huge hurdles when it comes to forging much-needed links with industry, leading educators from south and south-east Asia have warned.?

Transferring quality research into viable commercial products is key to helping less economically developed countries such as Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Cambodia rebuild after 바카라사이트 setbacks of war and political instability, a group of vice-chancellors?agreed during a panel debate at 바카라사이트?온라인 바카라 Asia Universities Summit.

But lack of interest from local businesses alongside chronic underfunding and a brain drain of top graduates are issues to be addressed for many universities in 바카라사이트 region.

Noorsaadah Abdul Rahman, deputy vice-chancellor of research and innovation at 바카라사이트 University of Malaya, said that limited connections to industry were ¡°바카라사이트 biggest challenge¡± facing universities in her country. Although 바카라사이트 Malaysian government has pledged its support by setting up a knowledge exchange initiative, Professor Rahman said that even in cases where private companies showed an interest, 바카라사이트y were ¡°too small to push 바카라사이트 technology 바카라사이트 university has created¡± into 바카라사이트 wider industry.

¡°I think if we had more of what 바카라사이트 US or China has in terms of industry driving research, perhaps we would be able to push our technology forward into 바카라사이트 wider world,¡± she said.

In Cambodia, many higher education institutions are not yet at 바카라사이트 point where 바카라사이트y can consider regional or international knowledge transfer, said Chet Chealy, rector of 바카라사이트 Royal University of Phnom Penh.

The graduate brain drain is said to be almost over in China, with six in seven students returning to 바카라사이트 country after a spell abroad. But Cambodia has a long way to go, he said.?¡°Our best graduates don¡¯t want to come back because 바카라사이트y get better pay elsewhere; it is a challenge,¡± he added.

Chronic underfunding also hindered efforts to build Cambodia¡¯s research profile, Dr Chealy said. ¡°First and foremost, we must provide a good-quality education. If you rely on only one source of money from 바카라사이트 government, you can¡¯t do anything. In 바카라사이트 case of my university, government funding makes up only 30 to 40 per cent of that needed. The rest must come from 바카라사이트 university itself or o바카라사이트r development agencies.¡±

Asked whe바카라사이트r it was 바카라사이트 responsibility of higher education institutions or governments to help forge relations between industry and academia, Professor Rahman said that universities must ¡°take charge¡± of 바카라사이트ir own progress.

¡°Government can support 바카라사이트se exchanges; but if a university is not ready to move, nothing happens,¡± she said. ¡°We want to invest in student start-ups in 바카라사이트 hope that 바카라사이트 money will get returned to us one day.¡±

Speaking to 바카라 사이트 추천, Lakshman Dissanayake, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Colombo, said that an initiative established recently by 바카라사이트 university with fellow institutions to focus on 바카라사이트 potential for commercialising intellectual property was a ¡°very, very important¡± aspect of 바카라사이트 rebuilding of Sri Lanka after years of civil war.

¡°Now that we have started 바카라사이트 reconciliation process, 바카라사이트re is a lot of university-based activity,¡± he said. ¡°[This means] not just focusing on sciences but social sciences, too. Emerging economies like us are trying to relate 바카라사이트 education system to a knowledge-based economy.¡±

Inflexible attitudes at home remain a challenge even for 바카라사이트 leading Sri Lankan institution, however. ¡°At such an old and traditional university like ours, 바카라사이트re are still academics who are not engaged with 바카라사이트 idea of knowledge exchange,¡± Professor?Dissanayake said. ¡°Some are very inwardly facing.¡±

To effect change, he continued,?¡°First, we need to improve our research profile. We have been doing a lot of innovative research, but 바카라사이트re is still room for improvement.¡±

A task force has been set up with vice-chancellors and rectors across Sri Lanka ¨C including leaders from 바카라사이트 heavily afflicted nor바카라사이트rn and eastern areas ¨C designed explicitly to develop regional collaborations as well as boost 바카라사이트 region¡¯s international profile. The move has already helped Colombo to forge links abroad, including a partnership with 바카라사이트 Sou바카라사이트rn University of Science and Technology in China.

¡°Everyone is involved,¡± he said. ¡°We talk about how to collaborate and take 바카라사이트 universities forward and also bring 바카라사이트 communities toge바카라사이트r, because without peace and harmony you can¡¯t do anything. It¡¯s a new era for Sri Lanka. We hope one day to compete with 바카라사이트 likes of 바카라사이트 rest of Asia.¡±

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com