India needs to embark on a path to cultivate and strengthen university-industry partnerships in a big way, by emulating the industrialized countries, especially US,WhavingRRIFTWellRFestablishedniracticeFaffiffioldingRRegularRRGovernment-University-Industry Research Roundtables’ (GUIRR), for enhancing basic and appliedFaesearchesPao PleveloplifiewPfiroductsFEIndFgerocessesFeffilhdustrialnind economic relevance. The regular ‘Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable’ (GUIRR) there in the US, comprises senior-most representatives from government, universities and industry in the development of national and
global science and technology agenda on the issues of shared interest. GUIRR provides a unique forum for dialogue among top government, university and industrial enterprise representatives. It provides a forum like no other, where a mixRtfIllectorsPRomeFlogetherFnoleinderstandFitowPotheRttherFilideRthi nkF9 nd moreover,RRtRIblsoRFpoolsRFtogetherRRheRFtesou rcesRFWorking RffinderRFb rtificia I compartrnentation of industry and academia what that can do? GUIRR monitors and identifies factors that may potentially impede the advancement of science and the translation of research into useful products, therapies and processes for the benefit world and mankind nation. GUIRR accomplishes the important task ofFtFprovidingRRiRFtharedRFforum,RFWhereRFLeadersR ofRRheFtRonstituentRItectors (Govern in ent,Pan d ustry,FUnd Fti n iversities)Faa n FAn eetlibnIli Reg u la rflbasisFAnd discuss national issues proactively.’
India has 800+ universities, many premier research institutes, majority of them supported by liberal research grants from the government. Though, among the universities,RRheMovernmentls@rantsFOreFeonfi nedPaoReels@overnmentPrunded central and state universities alone, besides some of the deemed universities. However in addition to the aforesaid universities, there are 40,000+ colleges as well, many of which have strong research ecosystems. Thus, a vast number of researches and teaching faculty comprising the professors, associate professors and assistant professor are all engaged to a reasonable extent in research, may beFfIxithRlibrIlfivithouffiStatePotunding.PffiuchFea rgeRlibumberFffifRialentedRIpoolFffif manpower actively engaged in research is not less than one lac in number, in the country. If suitable industry-academia alliances are treaded, can take India ahead many other nations in innovative researches.
This would augment the research input for industry and helpRIthenniversityPRIepartmentsR8oRffocusffitponffittilitarianPoitesearchesRRvith remunerative consultancies.
In Japan as well, as part of the Strategy for Human Resources Development in theRfficienceRRandRRFechnologyRFFelds,RRheRRndustry-Academia-Government collaborative roundtable on Human Resources Development in Science and Technology has been launched to provide opportunities for representatives from Japanese industry, academia, and government to hold discussions about how to enhanceRRheRatrategyRliindFltakeRRoncreteRffileasuresFOliccordingly.RITheRffirst roundtable meeting is said to have been held on Friday, May 22, 2015.s Rshe objectives of GUIRs in Japan can be enumerated as under
(i)R Measures to enhance education at universities and other institutions in order to meet future needs for human resources in the industrial world (including strengthening basic academic skills, improving professional education, and cooperating with the industrial world).
(ii)R Measures to promote job opportunities for postdoctoral personnel in enterprises
(Hi) ActionRFplansRFforRRheRFtollaborationRIbflffindustry,RFbcadem ia,Rffind government based on the Strategy for Human Resources Development in the Science and Technology Fields.
In China as well, since 1992, thenew Chinese innovation system has been evolving and strengthening out of university-industry-government relations. In recentFqears,Feciencelljearks,Plibcubators,FfendPhigh-techFUlevelopmenffilitones have been provided with strong incentives. The success rate of the SMEs in the Beijing area is largely attributed to university-industry collaborative researches and as per Wang Hongjia 600 high-tech corporations are a result of it, where the main center of Chinese Academy of Science and more than ten universities are located and involved in the collaborative exercise (including the two major universities, that is Peking University and Tsinghua University).’ The mere size ofPlIhelsilperationFRARthisRlo-calledFRhigh-techMevelopmentFlitone”Fifillbeyond
imaginationffibutsideffiChina.RfindiaRRooffithouldRRherefore,RFIeriouslyRRhinkRao
emulate and even endeavour to overtake this Asian and BRIGS counterpart,the China PRxhichPASFSBIsoFiliPodievelopinglitountryFINkeFffildia.PlTheRF4xam pleffibflithe ZongguancumFfficienceRWarkR8sRlbvenRanoreffilmplessiveRRahichRaontainsRB9 member universities to collaborate in research.s
TaiwanRaisFIRxell,RInFIRtsRlibursuitRffromFleabor-intensiveRRoffiknowledge-intensive economyFilas4beenffitncouragingffitesearchRlooperationRbetweenFihdustryffilnd university. University-industry research cooperation (UIRC) in Taiwan began to be approved by the Ministry of Education in the early 1980s. Before that time, universities were not allowed to actively cooperate with industry. Nevertheless, thereRfternainedRRwoRFformalRffirganizations:RRsaiwanRFUniversity’sRFijing-Ling Industrial Research Institute (TLIRI) and Tze-Chiang Foundation of Science and Technology (TCFST), which have been involved in UIRC since early 1970s. Major Categories of University-Industry Research Interactions and cooperation in Taiwan are: a5 General Support (ii) Contract Research (iii) Research Centers and Institutes (iv) Research Consortia (v) Industrial Associate/ Affiliate Programs (vi) New Business Incubators and Research Parks
India is a quasi-federal union of states. So, the GUIRRs may be set up and held regularly at the centre as well is in most of the 29 states. There can be such multi-tier roundtables, starting from the federal or central level and state level up to local cluster level, with the intervention of multiple ministries as well viz. the HRD ministry, industry ministry and commerce ministry. This would on the one hand augment innovative R&D for industry and more focused researches with greater social and economic relevance.
Notes
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6.Industry-Academia-Government Collaborative Roundtable on Human Resource Development in Science and Technology to be Launched/Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
7.Loet Leydesdorff & Zeno Guoping, University-Industry-Government Relation in China: An Emergent National System of Innovations.
8.R ibid