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Plan to lure leading researchers to New Zealand
Plan to lure leading researchers to New Zealand - Expert
reaction
20 July 2016
The 'Entrepreneurial Universities' initiatives will aim to bring 15 - 20 world-leading researchers to New Zealand, with our universities bidding for the opportunity to host them and their research teams.
The $35 million investment is funded out of Budget 2016’s $761.4 million ‘Innovative New Zealand’ package and will involve 50/50 partnerships with individual universities.
Full details in this press release issued on behalf of Steven Joyce, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment.
The Science Media Centre gathered the following commentary. Further comments will be added to the SMC website.
Professor John Raine, Pro Vice Chancellor - Research and Innovation, AUT University, comments:
"I think this is an excellent initiative and the universities will be pursuing this opportunity keenly. New Zealand has some areas of science and engineering, and in business and the social sciences, where we have world leaders and where we should be attracting international teams to work with our researchers for a period of time.
"I think there are particular opportunities across health and medical technologies, 'Big Data' technologies and analytics, in areas core to the New Zealand economy such as agritech, wine (and the wider horticulture domain), and tourism."
Dr Andrew Cleland, Chief Executive, Royal Society of New Zealand, comments:
"World class research carried out in New Zealand provides valuable intellectual property and improves capability, both of which will increase the value New Zealand can realise from cutting edge innovation. The nation can only benefit from more companies working closely with global experts in our universities to create world-leading products and services they can market to the world.
"Further, it is vitally important that New Zealand continues to be seen internationally as a place where world class research is carried out. This increases our ability to attract and retain global thought leaders working at the cutting edge in their research disciplines.
"It is pleasing to see the recognition from the Government of the value of building further our international connectedness. New Zealand researchers often travel to meet their peers; having more of their peers come here through this scheme could well lift the horizons and improve the experiences of our aspiring researchers.
ends
Science Media Centre NZ
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