BACKGROUND
The Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences (RCNAS) of
the University of Santo Tomas (UST), on the occasion of its 50th Foundation Anniversary and, in conjunction with the University’s Neo-centennial
celebration, launches the first multi-disciplinary "Innovation Challenge" in the
campus.
The RCNAS believes in the innovative Thomasian – the iThomasian.
And, Thomasian innovation can become more technically robust, relevant
and sustainable when it springs from and nurtured by multi-disciplinary
collaboration. Being the lifeblood of
the University’s Science and Technology (S&T) vein, the RCNAS provides the
platform, on which multi-disciplinary collaboration among students and faculty
members across the campus can be forged to provide S&T-based innovative
solutions to national and global problems related to human health and the
environment. The innovation challenge
platform will stand on three pillars that are uniquely Thomasian: (1) technical competence and creativity in
friendly competitive environment, (2) commitment that espouses collaboration
and teamwork, and (3) the Thomasian compassion expressed through innovations focused
on improving the quality of human life and environmental sustainability.
WHAT IS “neoVation”?
As part of its 50th Foundation Anniversary celebration, the UST
RCNAS is organizing the first campus-wide “Innovation Challenge” to set the
“gold standard” for iThomasian.
The event is a team competition where
participants are challenged to come up with S&T-based solution to pressing national
and/or global problems related to human health and the environment. The participants will identify an area of
concern under the broad topics of human health and/or environment, and come up
with an innovative solution or improvement. The main part of the challenge is to illustrate that the proposed
solution will work effectively and that it can be commercially viable. This can be done through product prototype
development and/or model fabrication, as well as economic feasibility study
when applicable. All these will be accomplished
within about three months. This year, with the RCNAS celebration coinciding
with the University’s Neo-centennial, the “Innovation Challenge” is dubbed “neoVation”.
OBJECTIVES
The
UST-RCNAS organizes “neoVation” to accomplish
the following objectives:
1. To cultivate
the culture of innovation in the campus.
2. To
reiterate the relevance of the S&T Research Program of the University
through useful innovations of commercial viability developed in the campus on
the RCNAS-led “neoVation” platform that is supported by the government
and the industry.
3. To maximize
productivity of various units in the University through multi-disciplinary
partnerships across the campus, thereby creating a sustained environment of
collaboration in the Thomasian community.
4. To put to practical work the Thomasian core values of 3 C’s: (a) technical Competence by coming up with useful innovation, (b) Commitment through teamwork that will forge lasting collaborative partnerships in the campus, and (c) Compassion by providing solution to practical problems related to the environment and human health in order to improve human life.
5. To promote and showcase the capabilities of Thomasians to a national and global audience from the industry, government, and other academic and research institutions in an “Innovation Expo” where all the qualified entries will be exhibited, from which winners will be chosen.
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Pontifical and Royal
Pontifical and Royal
University of Santo Tomas
The Catholic University of the Philippines
The Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences
"Celebrating 50 years of Research Excellence"
(1962 - 2012)
