Karolinska takes part in the Sweden-China Innovation Week

26 May 2010 | Network Updates

The President of Karolinska Institutet, Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson, has given a talk about the Institute at the Sweden-China Innovation Forum in Beijing, describing the innovation system and outlining how the new Masters programme in bioentrepreneurship encourages creativity and innovation within education.

“We have succeeded in creating a stimulating academic environment for researchers, teachers and students,” said Wallberg-Henriksson, referring among other fields to the university’s research on neuroscience and stem cells, which is at the leading edge of international research.

In addition, the Karolinska Institutet has a technology transfer system to which researchers can turn for professional advice on business plans, patents and accessing venture capital. As a result, the commercial potential of research findings can be evaluated more quickly, basic research is converted to applications and new, successful companies are formed.

The aim is for all education programmes to contain an element of entrepreneurship. It is important to understand the innovation process and have it in mind at all times when studying or conducting research. This is exemplified in the Karolinska’s new interdisciplinary masters programmes.

“Skills [sets] in which innovation and creativity are closely interlinked are in great demand in the labour market at present, both in health care and in industry. This also means that the programmes are highly popular,” said Wallberg-Henriksson.

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