PhilDev chairman, team visit UST, discuss Technopreneurship in Eng’g. curriculum

The Chairman of the Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev), Mr. Disodado “Dado” Banatao, led the Innovative Development for Entrepreneurship Advancement (IDEA) Program Team on 13 June 2016 in visiting the Faculty of Engineering to assess the progress of Engr. Charlie A. Marquez in his Re-Entry Action Plan (REAP) after his stint as IDEA visiting scholar at the Saturdja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (CET) in University of California (UC) – Berkeley from September to December 2015. The IDEA Program is a project of PhilDev with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as partner, and with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  The primary aim of the Program is to assist Higher Education Institutions in the country in cultivating “start-up culture” in their Engineering Programs, and develop talented Science and Technology entrepreneurs to usher in sustainable national progress.Engr. Marquez has been leading efforts in including Technopreneurship in Engineering curriculum. Currently, he teaches entrepreneurship and related courses in Industrial Engineering Department and the Chemical Engineering Department as well as in the Graduate School. He has been closely collaborating with the IDEA Team in enhancing the delivery of these courses, adopting techniques employed at the CET in UC-Berkeley.With Mr. Banatao in the UST visit were PhilDev Trustee, Mr. Jones Castro, and the IDEA Program Director, Mr. Emil Tapnio. Together with Engr. Marquez, the Team was received by the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Philipina A. Marcelo, PhD, and the Chairs of Industrial Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Assoc. Prof. Ismael Pangilinan, Jr. and Engr. Mark Emile Punzalan, respectively. Aside from updates from Engr. Marquez on his REAP implementation, the PhilDev and Engineering Teams also discussed the Faculty of Engineering’s long-term plan in incorporating Technopreneurship in the UST Engineering curriculum, student training, and faculty-student research works in order to create a culture of entrepreneurship in the Faculty.  They explored opportunities for further collaboration in the future in implementing these plans, and extending them to multi-disciplinary programs that will involve local and international start-up companies as well.  Both PhilDev and Engineering Teams believe that such an approach will enhance and sustain the culture of entrepreneurship in the whole University.PhilDev is one of the biggest benefactors of UST in providing scholarships to students. Currently, 21 students from the Faculty of Engineering received scholarships from PhilDev, four of whom graduated this year.