Student entrepreneurs shine
L- R: Katie Nurse, Millicent Brearly, and Stuart Inglis
The achievements of students studying for Master of Business (Science and Technology) have been recognised at the inaugural KPMG/Monash University Science and Industry Awards.
The awards, part of a joint initiative between KPMG and Monash University’s Asia-Pacific Centre for Science and Wealth Creation, are presented to students who complete the most outstanding commercialisation projects during the year.
Professor Michael Vitale, the Director of the Monash Asia-Pacific Centre for Science and Wealth Creation said the awards highlighted the accomplishments of the students in their management practicum.
“Initiatives like the commercialisation projects are designed to help students better understand the needs of industry,” Professor Vitale said.
“They give the students the opportunity to showcase their entrepreneurial and management skills in science-based companies.”
The winning project, ‘A Process and Apparatus for Making Nanostructured Powders’ by Katie Nurse and Carissa Ogden assessed the commercial opportunities available for a process and apparatus that allows for the production of a range of nanocomposite materials developed at CSIRO. It recommended a specific initial application to be developed, and a second application, to be developed as a contingency plan. The project was completed at CSIRO under the sponsorship of Dr Seng Lim and Mr Dilip Manuel.
Second prize was awarded to Millicent Brearly and Stuart Inglis for their project ‘An Efficacious Malaria Vaccine’, which was carried out at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) under the sponsorship of Professor Alan Cowman and Dr Julian Clark.
Their project described the growing need for an efficient malaria vaccine and how the WEHI aims to deliver one. The report included the team’s recommendations on how WEHI could get its vaccine candidate from the laboratory to the market place.
In presenting the major awards, Mr Rob Bazzani, Victorian Chairman of KPMG said the combination of analytical skills and business knowledge is extremely powerful.
“Students who are trained in both science and business will always be in demand,” Mr Bazzani said.
“It is becoming increasing more important to make best use of the knowledge generated in scientific and technical research. It can be a source of competitive advantage for Australia in the future.”