Russians visit Wright State to learn about university-industry partnerships

Wright State, recognized for its commitment to international relations, is a member of the acclaimed National Council for International Visitors.

Wright State hosted a group of Russian educators who have come to the United States to examine the development of university-industry partnerships in an effort to promote innovation.

The University Center for International Education (UCIE) hosted six Russian visitors Dec. 19–21 as part of the National Council for International Visitors (NVIC), International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

The group is composed of education administrators, each from different Russian universities. They have backgrounds in research, innovation, intellectual property and marketing. For several of them, this will be their first trip to the United States.

“This is another great opportunity for Wright State University through the International Visitor Leadership Program to put an international spotlight on its multiple efforts in university-industry partnerships,” said Stephen Foster, Ph.D., Wright State’s associate vice president for international affairs.

The visited multiple American cities. Their Dayton schedule included tours of Wright State University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Wright State Research Institute and the Appenzeller Visualization Lab.

While in Dayton, the group also visited the University of Dayton Research Institute, the office of Technological Partnerships and the General Electric Electrical Power Integrated Systems Research and Development Center.

The group participated in a luncheon discussion with Wright State Interim Provost Tom Sudkamp, faculty, administrators and government and industry representatives.

“The visitors will have opportunities to meet individuals who are actively engaged in fostering university-industry partnerships,” said Foster. “They will be able to take back and share with their colleagues back home very positive images of Wright State and the Miami Valley and have a much better understanding of our region of the country.”

They explored a number of topics during their activities including:

• Successful U.S. university-industry partnership models and their underlying infrastructure in scientific, technological, and engineering disciplines, including support of individual researchers via grants

• U.S. degree programs in management of Intellectual Property (IP), technology transfer and entrepreneurship

• Existing mechanisms that enable U.S. universities to develop partnership projects with business associates

• Essential functions and structures required to support university research and the commercialization of technology under university-industry partnerships

• Government created incentives among researchers, universities, and businesses to commercialize study results

• The protection and dissemination of intellectual property through patents, copyrights, licensing agreements and other mechanisms U.S. higher education institutions

Though Wright State has been welcoming foreign guests to its campus for decades, this is the fourth delegation that has visited the university as part of the IVLP and the first as a full member to the NCIV.

The program brings foreign leaders and experts to the United States for cultural and intellectual exchange.

The NCIV’s nationwide network includes more than 90 community organizations as well as program agencies, associate members and individuals. Only 7 percent of all NCIV members are universities.