At SIG-7 in New Orleans at the 2010 AUTM Annual Meeting, we'll be discussing "Foreign Exchange" in Tech Transfer. For example, at our institution, we've developed what we call the International Resident Affiliate Program. Five professionals have visited with us since the start of the program in May 2008. Recently, we hosted an individual from the TTO at the University of Rouen Hospital in Rouen, France. Rouen is a Sister City to Cleveland, so the political tie-in was particularly impactful in this instance.
The individual was one of several sponsored in part by the CURIE Network, which is sort of an AUTM-like organization in France. Other institutions, notably Boston University and University of Chicago, have also participated in this program. Cornell University has even sent one of their own TTO staff to visit in France for a few weeks. I've heard of roughly similar initiatives at UNC and U of Arizona. Are there others?
The entire concept seems to be an interesting one to explore, and I'd like to invite anyone to not only attend the SIG (Friday, March 19, from 1:30 to 3:00), but also to comment via this blog.
Thanks for your input.
Mike Allan
Case Western Reserve University