News archive 2010

Sharing research management skills

23 Sep 2010, PR 202/10

As part of a project funded by The Carnegie Corporation in New York to develop research management in higher educations institutions in Africa, King's is currently hosting Dr George Nasinyama, Deputy Director of Research, Makerere University, Uganda. The visit is led by King’s Business.



The project, ‘Research Management in African Universities: from awareness raising to developing structures’, is managed by The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and includes five institutions in four countries in Africa including Makerere University, Uganda. Running until 2011, the project will assist the institutions in converting their awareness of research management issues into robust, sustainable structures, and in developing appropriate professional standards within the established structures. Each of the African participant institutions has been partnered with 'mentor' universities, who will assist in the development of specific proposals and provide guidance on identifying their institutional strengths and weaknesses.

King’s is the mentor in a project with Makerere University that is aiming to create in the first instance an Intellectual Property (IP) management capability at Makerere and subsequently in East Africa more generally. As part of this evaluation Dr Nasinyama is spending two weeks with King’s Business, gaining an understanding of the establishment and management of an IP office in a university setting in which IP issues occur in the research, teaching and commercialisation context. Reciprocal visits to Makerere University will follow later this year.

During his stay Dr Nasinyama also met with Professor Keith Hoggart, Vice-Principal (Arts & Sciences), to learn about the range of Africa-related activities the College is engaged with.

Ongoing dialogue

Dr Mike Shaw, Commercial Director, King’s Business said: ‘This visit has enabled Dr Nasinyama to learn and witness in detail both strategy and operations, which surround an IP management resource. We have been able to give him a first-hand experience of the role IP management plays in a variety of important College activities, not just those directly linked to commercialisation. By being embedded within the Commercial Development team, he has observed the complex interrelationship between our research and commercial activities and therefore the skills and resources a team in Makerere will need to consider when determining its own suitable approach to IP management in East Africa.’ 

Professor Hoggart added: ‘There is real need for international exchanges of expertise and understanding, so the Carnegie Corporation and the Association of Commonwealth Universities are to be commended for coming together to make this scheme a reality. King’s will be learning a great deal from Dr Nasinyama’s visit, and his visit should lead to a valuable ongoing dialogue with King’s, from which we hope Makerere will benefit.’

King's is committed to translating its world-class research into practical solutions that work on the ground. The College has had a long-standing commitment to Africa and a strong core of African experts and Africanists, many of whom have made significant contributions to African-led processes, such as Desmond Tutu, an alumnus of King’s and more recently Visiting Professor at the College.

Most recently the College was awarded a grant in excess of $1.6 million from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to fund Peace and Security Fellowships at the African Leadership Centre (ALC). The ALC equips young Africans with the skills and knowledge to become leading analysts and policymakers on peace, security and development in Africa.



Notes to editors

King's Business
King’s Business is responsible for driving innovation within King’s College London. A subsidiary of the College, the company develops new opportunities for engagement with business and the public sector across the whole range of academic disciplines. King’s Business works with academics to deliver research collaborations, exchange know-how, promote consultancy services, license new technologies and create new business ventures. For more information visit www.kcl.ac.uk/business


King's College London
King's College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (2010 QS international world rankings), The Sunday Times 'University of the Year 2010/11' and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King's has nearly 23,000 students (of whom more than 8,600 are graduate students) from nearly 140 countries, and some 5,500 employees. King's is in the second phase of a £1 billion redevelopment programme which is transforming its estate.

King's has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for British universities, 23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of British universities; over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in the UK in their field and can thus be classed as world leading. The College is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of nearly £450 million.

King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine, nursing and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe; no university has more Medical Research Council Centres.

King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King's Health Partners. King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering global collaboration between one of the world's leading research-led universities and three of London's most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and comprehensive mental health services. For more information, visit: www.kingshealthpartners.org.



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