PraxisAuril's Managing Director, Tamsin Mann, reflects on a week of global KE
Last week was a special one in the knowledge exchange calendar as national and pan-national KE networks came together to share knowledge, challenges and visions for the future of the profession. PraxisAuril’s (PrA) Managing Director, Tamsin Mann, travelled to Geneva to represent PrA at the ATTP Council and later in the week, at the AUTM WIPO leadership summit while many PrA volunteers gathered online for an international KT symposium (KTIS) organised by Reseau Curie with ASTP, AUTM, PrA and WIPO.
Securing Professional Standards in KE
PraxisAuril is a founder member of ATTP, a global network run almost entirely by volunteers, which upholds professional standards in knowledge transfer/exchange through the RTTP qualification. Being part of the ATTP group gives us an important role in determining how KT/KE should be defined and recognised as practices change and the sheer range of activities and organisations involved broadens, organically. This is particularly true of the UK where we hear voices from policy engagement and the cultural and creative sectors in our KEC discussions, for example. This is all good for KE but can be challenging when it comes to defining a professional qualification. Discussions are vital and good for our common understanding of how we cater for mature KE environments and more emerging KE economies, such as Thailand where a Baye-Dole type act has recently been passed.
Taking the Lead
The AUTM WIPO leadership summit brought together just under 40 leaders of KE organisations from around the world to discuss two main topics:
- Diversity across the Innovation Ecosystem
Diversity and Inclusion is a core theme for PraxisAuril, as demonstrated at two consecutive conferences and via our IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equality, Accexssibility) SIG. What’s useful about discussing EDI in such an internationally diverse group is the range of perspectives on the topic. Hearing Australian and New Zealand delegates talking about the concept of ‘ownership’ in the context of indigenous peoples, for example, was particularly thought provoking. There is also much common ground where it’s useful to compare progress against ambition and this is definitely an area where we are stronger working together.
- Government funding of Technology / Knowledge transfer
The UK is one of very few countries to have dedicated funding for KE, in the form of HEIF and its devolved equivalents, and is a model that others hope to follow. Why? Because project-based funding is unpredictable and constrains risk or experimentation. It also creates job insecurity for KE staff. This is something that PrA has underlined as a key value of HEIF in our policy work.
This global sharing of good practice is at the core of PraxisAuril's mission and gives us important perspectives on policy and practice – lifting our gaze from the domestic to international contexts.
Around-The-Clock KT
While Tamsin was in Geneva, a dedicated group of PraxisAuril experts drawn from our Board and training volunteers went online for the inaugural Knowledge Transfer International Symposium (KTIS). This was a 24hour extravaganza of all things KT/KE with speakers from around the globe across 12/13th October. Tamsin set the scene with leaders from AUTM, ASTP, Reseau Curie and WIPO during the opening session. She introduced the UK’s mature and rewarding KE environment and emphasised the importance of being part of an international KE community, now more than ever. If you weren’t able to make the event last week, keep an eye out for all the recordings which will be online shortly for you to enjoy at your leisure. A huge thank you to all the PrA members who gave up their time to record or appear live on screen during the KTIS event.
KE is a Global People business
The common thread running through all these meetings was the commitment and enthusiasm of the people involved. It was a very welcome return to in-person meetings, to renew old friendships and make new connections. KE is, emphatically, a people business and there can be no better example of that than this coming together of our global KE community.
Huge thanks for superb organisation and leadership go to: Tim Boyle, Ansto, Chair of ATTP and Florence Desportes, ATTP Programme Administrator; to Steve Susalka, CEO AUTM and Barbara Gunderson, Professional Development Senior Director AUTM; to Stephanie Kuss and the Reseau Curie team as well as all of our UK expert volunteers who contributed to the KTIS.