Dorothy You said
> In terms of actions, are there members on this list, who would be > interested in developing collaborative projects for fourth year EE > projects (typically a 9-month project)? If yes, I would greatly > appreciate hearing from you. I dont think it is as simple as that. There needs to be a wholistic approach. In terms of projects that we would like to see University guys doing, there are lots and lots. However this needs to be integrated into the entire curriculum of the faculty plus changing mindsets of both the lecturers and students and probably some other factors I am not able to mention right now. Why dont you think it over and show some one like me how participation in a collaborative effect is bound to be effected and the benefits it will have at the end of de day to the student, university and private sector. Wire > A good perspective on what we would like to have at the Department of > Electrical Engineering, and perhaps we have not had as much action on > this. "University-Industry (private or public)" partnerships are > beneficial on a number of levels > - good incentive to students as you rightly point out, and even from the > perspective, that there is more to the work they are doing than simply > to have a report at the end of the day > - opportunity for EE department to "get a feel" for the general > direction and needs for EE skills > - opportunity for industry to obtain basic research or testbed for ideas > of interest > > While I speak from the EE department perspective, I believe this is a > sentiment shared by others at the Faculty of Technology or other > institutions. Question is more on the actions (or lack thereof). > > In terms of actions, are there members on this list, who would be > interested in developing collaborative projects for fourth year EE > projects (typically a 9-month project)? If yes, I would greatly > appreciate hearing from you. > > Regards, > > Dorothy > > At 10:03 PM 7/22/2004, you wrote: >>Most people will not produce results unless there is a meaningful >> incentive. There are 2 parties involved in this equation-the >> government, which supplies funding and the students who supply the >> projects. >> >>Let me give the example of how this works at the University of >> Waterloo, please dont bash me, it may not be practical in Uganda's >> situation but it illustrates the idea of incentives. >> >>The University of Waterloo has created a technology triangle where >> graduating engineering students have started up small profitable >> businesses from projects they submitted at the end of their course. Why >> is this possible? >> >>Government provides the funding and in turn becomes the incubator of >> these ideas and having a monetary stake in these new technologies >> through the university. >> >>The students are therefore extremely motivated to be creative and put >> in a lot of effort to ensure their project generates sufficient >> commercial viability. >> >>In essence, everyone benefits. The university gets the funding they >> need, the students get a chance to start a money making venture from a >> technology they love and the government gets a stake in the the >> businesses that are started. >> >>The students I studied with in Makerere 1997-2000 were among the >> brightest I knew(Mass Comm). Engineering students in Uganda by virtue >> of choosing such a technical subject must be bright and therefore >> given the right incentive would do a fabulous job of developing viable >> technologies or at least useful research. >> >>Results = Incentives >> >>Joyce > > > > --------------------------------------------- > This service is hosted on the Infocom network > http://www.infocom.co.ug -- "Although about 3 million computers get sold every year in China, but people don't pay for the software," he said. "Someday they will, though. As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade." Bill Gates as Quoted by C|Net News.com --------------------------------------------- This service is hosted on the Infocom network http://www.infocom.co.ug
