Official Newsletter of Institute of Research Promotion Office News Letter of Institute of Research Promotion
Fortnightly News
IRP Newsletter Promoting Research Culture In Pakistan
Editorial Board Chief Editor Rahmat Ullah English Editor Zahid Iftikhar
August 15,2013
Research In News… Innovation Index 2013 – where the winners are Aug 02 ,2013
In the recently released Global Innovation Index 2013, published by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization, the US reclaimed its spot among the world’s five most innovative nations after a brief time out in the cold.Once again, Switzerland came out on top, followed by Sweden holding onto last year’s second spot, while the UK climbed to third place from 5th in 2012. Australia was in 19th place, up from last year’s disappointing 23rd place.Rounding out the Top 10 are the Netherlands in 4th place (up from 6th); the US in 5th (up from 10th); Finland in 6th (down from 4th); Hong Kong in 7th (up one place); Singapore in 8th (down from 3rd); Denmark in 9th (down from 7th) and Ireland in 10th (down one spot). According to the report, research and development spending levels are above 2008 levels in most countries and “dynamic innovation hubs are multiplying around the world despite the difficult state of the global economy”.Discussing the findings, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry said: “For national
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level policy makers seeking to support innovation, realizing the full potential of innovation in their own backyards is often a more promising approach than trying to emulate successful innovation models elsewhere”. The authors noted that “fostering local innovation requires strategies that should be deeply rooted in local comparative advantages, history and culture. They should be combined with a global approach to reach out to foreign markets, and attract overseas talent”. Indicators used to produce the 2013 Index include: the quality of top universities, availability of microfinance and venture capital deals. Switzerland and Sweden’s consistent stellar performances reflect their exceptional performance in all components making up the Index. The USA’s improvement came on the back of its strong first-rate universities and increases in software spending and jobs in knowledge-intensive industries. Bruno Lanvin, Index co-editor and Executive Director of INSEAD’s European Competitiveness Initiative said: “…innovation is rapidly becoming a rallying symbol for forces of progress and reform around the world. Although our findings show that daunting challenges remain for many new players, we also see exciting examples of innovation success, including in some of the poorest countries. This is a source of optimism about the future of global innovation and economic recovery”. Breaking down the report by region, India was the top performer in Central and Southern Asia in 66th spot overall; Mauritius ranked the highest for Sub-Saharan Africa in 53rd place; Hong Kong topped the class for Southeast Asia and Oceania (7th globally); Costa Rica
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Official Newsletter of Institute of Research Promotion was ahead in the Caribbean in 39th spot; Israel came up trumps for Northern Africa and Western Asia in 14th place overall; with Switzerland and the US rounding out the top spots respectively for Europe and North America. Latin America won the gong for most improved region.Overall though, this year’s index showed “a striking pattern of stability among the most innovative nations. Whether we look at the top 10 or top 20 innovators in the world, GII rankings show that while individual countries swap their respective rankings within these groups, not a single country moved in or out of such groups in 2013”.Good news for those that have already made the grade, not so promising for those trying to muscle their way in. This is perhaps an example of the measurable way in which innovation breeds innovation – and investment. Despite ongoing global economic uncertainty, this year’s index revealed research and development expenditure continues to grow with the R&D spend of the top 1000 R&D companies rising by nearly 10% last year.It is emerging markets, however, that are increasing their R&D spend faster than high-income nations, with China, Argentina, Brazil, Poland, India, Russia, Turkey and South Africa leading the charge.Innovation is a well-recognised catalyst for economic and social development with unlimited potential to transform economies, industries and most importantly – lives. Rising to the top of the Index is one contest we should all want to win. Source: http://www.andrewhorvath.com.au/2013/08/globalinnovation-index-2013-where-the-winners-are-2/
Taken from the Star Tribune post, At Target, Innovation Begins From Within, the author explores the front end of the ideation process and ways to improve the quality of its eventual outcome. As the text describes, leading innovators, like Target, spend much more time on the front end framing and focusing on the challenge. “Technology and business strategy are completely intertwined. In the world we live in, neither one can live independently. We need each side to have a full seat at the table to bring the best together.” Building on this comment, our sustainability consulting practice experience finds that front-end efforts are enabled through early stakeholder engagement and alignment around mutual benefiting sustainability concepts. Some commonly observed steps to aid in this pursuit include:
Define the objectives clearly: Understanding the purpose will enable decision makers. Design around the objectives: The key to effective design is working back from the business decisions that need to be made. Map out the decision processes by considering: Will it underpin a redesign of the brand and the value proposition or of frontline sales and service? Will it ultimately result in more tailored and dynamic online and direct marketing? How are the business and functional units responsible going to access the information and use it on a day-to-day basis? Manage the implementation process: The tools for managing change need to be deployed fully.
What is the Link Between Culture and Sustainable Innovation? Wednesday, August 14, 2013 by Julie Urlaub “It’s not about just one physical manifestation on how you innovate like a research and development center. Innovation is everyone’s day job…at the right time, the right place and the right culture to really effect transformative change.”
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At Taiga Company, we believe that successful business sustainability cultures focus on open communication and learning. We advocate that by allowing for flexibility and promoting open innovation across the value chain, an organization can capture the interests of
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Official Newsletter of Institute of Research Promotion its current and stakeholders.
future
employees
and
other
The ability to remain open to test new ideas and innovative strategies has already proven to be a successful business sustainability strategy. Organizations that continuously assess and reassess the needs of their internal and external stakeholders are often more adaptive to the dynamic landscape of today’s business. The question ultimately becomes: Is your company enabling creativity to become tangible innovation?
Source:http://blog.taigacompany.com/blog/sustainabilitybusiness-life-environment/what-is-the-link-between-cultureand-sustainable-innovation#sthash.
Young Entrepreneur Business Plan Competition” by LCCI on August 21, 2013 Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry is organizing “ Young Entrepreneur Business Plan “ on 21st August, 2013 .The prime objective of the event is to explore the untapped potential of Business opportunities and also invite the students from Business Schools and Universities to come up with innovative and workable ideas of proposing business projects to attract the business community for investment. Contact: asif56@lcci.org.pk
Upcoming Event...
Mr. M. Asif Ali, Additional Secretary, LCCI on Ph. No. 111-222-499 Ext 330 & 359 Cell. 0302-4606162
IDEAS Contest 2013
Intr. Journal of Innovative Finance – IJIAF IJIAF provides you the best opportunity to share your innovative researches with the researchers and managers in the field of accounting, finance and financial markets. The journal adopts blind peer reviewing and best management practices to serve you in all the submission to publishing process. You can email your paper for initial editorial feedback to ijiaf@irp.edu.pk .You can register to submit your manuscript online and get updates through online review process.Publish your empirical paper,
review paper, practical case having something unique to offer to the world of finance. Contact: mmshahkhan@umt.edu.pk Visit for more information : . www.cls.irp.edu.pk
August 15,2013
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Official Newsletter of Institute of Research Promotion
Exclusive Interview : Prof Dr Akram Shaikh: Man behind the task to digitize information resources at By Team Technology Times PASTIC Prof Dr M Akram Shaikh is the Director General of PASTIC National Centre, Pakistan Science Foundation. He did his MS in Software Engineering in 2000 from University of Huddersfield (UK), and PhD in 2008 on HEC scholarship from Tsinghua University Beijing, China. Dr Akram is also a member of HEC National Curriculum Committee, PEC Accreditation Committee and Board of Studies Committees of various universities. In a detailed interview with Technology Times he shared his vision about the digitization of PASTIC Technology Times: What is your experience about higher education in China? PROF DR AKRAM SHAIKH: I went to China on HEC scholarship, as you know that was the time when doors of US and European universities were shut on us. Even in China some of Pakistani students were not allowed to work in their classified labs. But now the things have improved and access to educational institutes worldwide has been allowed. The period I was mentioning was exactly after the 9/11. In China there is a huge language barrier. Thanks to HEC; they sent us to those institutes where beside Chinese, English was also medium of instructions. Chinese language is very difficult and understanding the technical Chinese language is further more difficult. Did you not raise this issue with HEC? HEC officials gave us a good response whenever we informed them about any issue. But the teaching in China was really good. I had observed one thing there that they have one medium of teaching (Chinese) irrespective of the subject and field. They are also very quick in translating science and technology books published in US and Europe. And all this is done under copyrights. Let me also add here that Chinese have 100 percent commitment with their job. When I was studying in China there was no restriction on us and we could work 24 hours in the labs and even on weekends you can work. This culture needs to be promoted in
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Pakistan where it is difficult to work in a lab after the working hours and in case of weekends it is more difficult. Tell us about PASTIC. PASTIC stands for Pakistan Scientific and Technological Information Centre which is the premier organization in the field of S&T information management and dissemination that serves as a gateway for access to and delivery of S&T information catering to the needs of research and development workers in all areas of science & technology. The users of PASTIC includes researchers, entrepreneurs, academicians, scientists, engineers, industrialists, policy makers and planners. Its mandate is to collect process and disseminate scientific and technological information among S&T and R&D community of the country. It has evolved from erstwhile Pakistan National Scientific and Technical Documentation Centre (PANSDOC) which was established in 1957 under Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (PCSIR) to provide the scientific community with such support services as the procurement of documents, compilation of bibliographies, abstracting and indexing services and technical translation. Later on in 1974 PANSDOC was transferred from PCSIR to Pakistan Science Foundation and was renamed as Pakistan Scientific and Technological Information Centre (PASTIC). After transfer to Pakistan Science Foundation, its scope and facilities were expanded. Establishment of PANSDOC/PASTIC at that time was a big initiative as there were difficulties in getting access to the information. Senior people informed us that in the old days it was very difficult to get Ph.D as access to information was difficult and setting up of PASTIC helped many of them. Once when I went to University of Bahawalpur and met its Vice Chancellor, he highly appreciated the PASTIC roll in serving the research community. Have you modernized your services? Yes, we have modernized our services. We are using information and communication technologies for dissemination of our services. We are using electronic means for rendering our services such as Document Supply Service, Bibliographic Information Service, and Literature Search/Literature Surveys. We have developed indigenous databases which have
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Official Newsletter of Institute of Research Promotion strengthened our information infrastructure and resources. Besides we have compiled and published reference information publications in the form of databases by using information technology. These publications serve as reference information tools which are available and accessible to our users through internet and being used directly by scientific and R&D community for fulfilling their information needs. We regularly subscribe many online international databases so that we could provide up-to-date information to our clients. We are doing all of our work in a scientific way. We want to make changes for a complete turnaround but this kind of revamping requires capacity building. We are planning to initiate new projects for revamping and capacity building of PASTIC. We are employing latest tools to meet the requirement of our clients. Did PASTIC only base in Islamabad? No, we are also based at provincial headquarters and other cities. PASTIC Head Office is based at Islamabad and housed in its own building at Quaid-iAzam University campus, Islamabad whereas its regional centre are working at Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad and Muzaffarabad. We also want to have our sub centre at Gilgit Baltistan but due to lack of funds we have not yet managed to set it up. But it will be opened soon. We are also in process of establishing our information Kiosks/Cells in the selected universities throughout the country where there is no any PASTIC sub centre nearby. Do you only disseminate information available internationally or also promote local knowledge? We collect, procure and disseminate scientific and technical information generated, published and available anywhere in the world. We have established liaison with local, regional and international S&T information agencies/networks for exchange and procurement of information. We also liaise and interact with regional and international counterpart organizations and S&T information dissemination Centres. We also collect and disseminate the information generated and published locally. We have developed linkages with local libraries for sharing of their information resources. We have also developed indigenous information databases for this purpose. We have also signed Memorandum of Understanding with
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LEJ National Science Information Centre, University of Karachi and other institutions for information exchange and resource sharing in order to facilitate the scientific community. We are also expending this kind of resource sharing with other universities and R&D organizations. How do you set your priorities? We have a process to do that. We organize an annual conference in June or July at closing of financial year in which we review our activities carried out during the past year and set targets and plans for the coming financial year and the main ones are prioritized. The tasks pertaining to development and strengthening of information resources and modernizing our services are prioritized as fulfilling the information needs of our clients are the first priority. Besides we holds meeting of our sectional heads on fortnightly basis in which we constantly review our year targets and routine activities. During these meetings new proposals are also looked into. We set our priorities through this process of continuous reviewing of our activities and progress. What are the services your organization provide to scientific community Our major service is document supply service under which we provide copies of research articles, conference papers, patents, report and other scientific documents to scientists and research & development workers on their demand. Besides we also provide the abstracts of research papers on different topics. Facility of literature research/survey is also provided to students and research worker. We also provide the consultancy service to researcher and R&D workers in getting their invention patented. Guidance is provided to them for filling and filing the patent applications. Awareness seminars on intellectual property rights issues are also organized for creating awareness on IPRs among scientists and R&D Workers. Reference and referral services are also available at PASTIC library. We also provide printing services to science & technology and R&D organizations of the country. Do you provide your services at subsidized rate? Yes, some of our services are provided a subsidized rate, while some are free of cost. Document supply
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Official Newsletter of Institute of Research Promotion service is provided at highly subsidized rate as compare to actual cost of procurement of documents/reprint of article. Whereas Bibliographic Information service/literature search is provided free of cost. We have a printing section namely Reprographic Unit rendering printing services to S&T organizations and education institutions. We intend to run this unit on commercial basis so that some funds may be generated. We are in process of commercialization printing services through public private partnership programme. Is there any foreign funding available to PASTIC? At present no any foreign funding is available to us. However, we are in process of establishing liaison with international information network/agencies and counterpart organization for initiating collaborative projects and information exchange programmes. We are focal point of some regional and international organizations such as SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC), WHO/CEHANET, IFAP/UNESCO. We are planning to submit some project for foreign funding. Who are your clients? All the R&D organizations, faculty & students of higher education institutions, professionals of information technology, agriculture, environment and health sector, government departments, business & industrial community, Investors, entrepreneurs & libraries are the major clients of PASTIC services. How do you help Universities? We provide scientific & technological information support services to all scientist, research workers, students of the universalities in the form of research papers, scientific documents which need to complete their research project and studies. We conduct literatures search and surveys for students and researchers of the universities for review of literature available in their respective disciplines. We compile and publish reference information publication to be used by scientists, R&D workers and students as reference information tools for accessing and locating the relevant information. We provide patent information services to R&D workers of universities and provide them guidance for filling and filing the applications for grant of patents. We have initiated a
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university industry partnership programme for interaction between universities and industries and providing them forum to find ways and means for commercialization of research carried out by universities. Does it mean that you are acting as a bridge to help the industry? Yes, information plays a potential role in research as well as in developmental activities particularly industrial development; therefore it is also used by industrial sector for growth of industry, value addition in products, business development, and enhancing exports. Therefore, PASTIC is in process of developing linkages with industrial sector through Chambers of Commerce and Industry for bridging the gap between industry and research institutions and promotion of research and development culture in the country. These linkages are necessary for bringing together academia and industry for close relation between research objectives and industry priorities and promoting indigenous technologies. This initiative of PASTIC will go a long way in developing industrial research culture and empowering the industrial sector with innovations leading to the promotion of competitiveness, productivity and socio economic development. What kind of other services are provided by PASTIC to local universities? We organize our information service stalls from time to time at different universities with a view to provide S&T information services at the door step of universities. Besides we are in process of establishing our information Kiosks/Cells at 16 different universities of Pakistan. This programme will be materialized after the approval and execution of one of our development project which have been already submitted to Government for approval. We help universities by providing training to their library and information professionals in modern information handling techniques for automation of their libraries and information source sharing. We also arrange foreign training for their library staff. Courtesy by Technology Times
Compiled & Edited By: CLS, Institute of Research Promotion(www.irp.edu.pk)
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