Caraga State University (CSU) joined and actively participated in this year’s SYNERGY conference held from September 19 to 21, 2017 at the Manila Hotel and organized by the USAID STRIDE and in partnership with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL). This year's SYNERGY theme is "Creating Knowledge".
Dr. Anthony M. Penaso, CSU President, led all participants from CSU during this third edition of the SYNERGY. Also present in the three-day conference were Engr. Jeffrey T. Dellosa, Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) Manager/Director of the Technology Development, Transfer and Licensing Office (TDTLO), Dr. Flordeliza Alburo, ITSO Head of CSU Cabadbaran Campus (CSUCC), Prof. Alvin Sevilla, Director for Research and Extension of CSUCC, Engr. Jefrey M. Bagasbas and Mr. Kenneth L. Ciudad, both ITSO Technical Experts.
CSU also participated in putting up an ITSO booth or exhibit to showcase the progress in technologies developed and the patent applications made in the last few years. A total of twenty five (25) universities and private organizations participated in the exhibits, but CSU is the only university from Mindanao which participated in the exhibits, highlighting Dr. Penaso and the university’s commitment to engage and be a part of national events related to innovation.
The three-day event comprised of three major highlights that include the conference, pitching competition and workshops. The first two days were spent on the conference and pitching competition and the final day was dedicated to the different workshops.
Dr. David Hall, USAID STRIDE Program Chief of Party led the two-day conference as the overall and lead organizer of the SYNERGY. Dr. Hall made special mention of CSU during day one of the conference and made special reference on the “mini-SYNERGY” that CSU has been organizing and conducting. He was referring to the SciTech4Dev event that CSU organized the last two years. He was a keynote speaker and provided his talk during the Innovation and Technopreneurship Forum, day three of the 2016 SciTech4Dev event where TDTLO/ITSO managed the activity.
Dr. Hall encouraged other universities to do the same thing in their respective regions. Dr. Hall also highlighted in the second day of the conference the participation of Dr. Penaso in the event organized by USAID STRIDE in Cebu City this year.
The SYNERGY 2017 conference was attended by His Excellency Sung Y. Kim, the Ambassador of the United States to the Philippines, who delivered his keynote address in day one. The conference was also participated by relevant officials of the government, which included Secretary Ramon Lopez, Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Undersecretary Dr. Rowena Guevara, Undersecretary for Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Atty. Nelson P. Laluces, Deputy Director General of IPOPHL and Dr. Napoleon Juanillo, Director IV of Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Dr. Wayne Holden, President and CEO of the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International, delivered his keynote address on the first day. Dr. Holden shared how RTI was established in North Carolina through the universities that included the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University and Duke University in 1958. Dr. Holden visited all the booths after the morning session of the first day of the two-day conference.
Note: More to follow...
Copyright: September 23, 2016. Engr. Jeffrey T. Dellosa
