Yupar Myint, CfEL’s Director of International Business Development, said:
"We have built a mutually rewarding relationship with the RAEng over the last few years as they have regularly funded places on CfEL’s Ignite programme for their UK Enterprise Fellows. So we are delighted to have been part of the successful pitch to the Newton Fund and to be working in partnership with them at an international level."
The Newton Fund is a £375 million Official Development Assistance fund (for five years starting 2014/15) of the UK Government, which is administered by Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Through the Newton Fund, the UK will develop science and innovation partnerships to promote the economic development and social welfare of select partner countries.
The primary objective of the RAEng’s LIF programme is to build the capacity of researchers, within a number of partner countries of the Newton Fund, for entrepreneurship and commercialisation of their research. The structure and content of the programme is the same for each cohort and comprises two main components. The first component is a week-long training programme run by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The second is a Group Project Activity which CfEL are delivering for five cohorts of entrepreneurs and researchers in the period from 16 February-23 March 2015.
Shane McHugh, Head of International Activities at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:
"Our aim is to give researchers in partner countries the confidence, skills and networks to help commercialise their innovations. CfEL’s expertise and track record in entrepreneurship education meant we were confident they would be a great partner adding enormous value to the overall programme."
CfEL is providing five three-day training courses as part of the Group Project Activity for entrepreneurs and researchers from India, Thailand, South Africa and Vietnam. The Centre is leveraging its extensive network of entrepreneurs, academics, mentors and experts in the Cambridge Cluster to contribute to the courses. In addition, two RAE participants will be offered free places on CfEL’s Ignite programme in July 2015 in Cambridge.
Dr Toby Wilkinson, Head of the International Strategy Office at the University of Cambridge, said: “CfEL’s contribution to entrepreneurship training in emerging economies exemplifies the mission of the University of Cambridge to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.”
Find out more
Visit the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (CfEL) website