On the 7-8th of December 2013, the seminar ‘Skoltech: BUILDING EXPERT COMMUNITY’ was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
The seminar was attended by representatives of the Russian-speaking scientific community abroad, and in the first place, representatives from Skoltech priority research investments: biomedicine, energy, and information technologies. In total, approximately 35 professors and researchers from the USA, Great Britain, Ireland and Japan participated in the event.
Among the speakers were the representatives of Skoltech leadership and MIT Skoltech Initiative: Edward Crawley, Skoltech President; Mikhail Myagkov, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Mats Hanson, Dean of Education; Raj Rajagopalan, Vice-President for Faculty Affairs & Dean of Faculty; Jerome Smith, Co-Director of MIT Venture Mentoring Service and others.
The seminar organizers aimed to disseminate and discuss information about opportunities for Russian scientific diaspora engagement with Skoltech as well as begin creating an expert community in Skoltech priority areas.
Mikhail Myagkov, Vice President for academic affairs, addressed the audience with the general presentation on Skoltech. He introduced Skoltech concept, goals and core areas.
‘A modern university can’t remain efficient, if isolated. Integration with the international scientific community forms an important part of the Skoltech concept’, – highlighted Myagkov.
Edward Crawley, Skoltech President, gave a speech on what had been achieved so far within the framework of the University development in core areas. The audience learned about the principles on which the educational and the research processes in Skoltech were organized, about establishing connection between science and production, and on the innovative entrepreneurship development. In particular, the President focused on the activities of two CREIs, which had already started their work: the Center for stem cell research and the Center for Advanced Structure, Processes and Engineered Materials.
‘International practices prove the powerful impact and evident success drive of diaspora support of universities especially at the initial stages of development’, – noted Edward Crawley and named specifically the examples of Hong Kong University of Science & Technology and Postech.
Mats Hanson, Dean of Education, and Raj Rajagopalan, Dean of Faculty, told about Skoltech educational programs and faculty recruitment. ‘Formation of the international expert community of professors around Skoltech is one of our most critical strategic tasks, – stressed Mats Hanson. – To resolve it we significantly count on representatives of the Russian scientific diaspora as one the most loyal and cooperation-motivated part of the global scientific community’.
Christian Prothmann, Director of Research, Skoltech/ MIT Initiative overviewed Research process and key development milestones.
Jerome Smith from MIT focused on the support program for the University innovation projects – Venture Mentoring Service, implemented at MIT. In the near future Skoltech Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center plans to launch an analog of this program.
The audience had the opportunity to ask questions to Skoltech and MIT Skoltech Initiative representatives, as well as participate in some sessions to discuss educational programs, strategies of faculty recruitment. The participants expressed their recommendations and ideas on the ways of cooperation between the Institute and foreign Russian-speaking scientists.
At the end of the seminar the audience expressed their enthusiasm and readiness for active cooperation.
