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CSIR nanotechnology expert Professor Thembela Hillie will become a Fellow of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management (MIT Sloan), after having been accepted to the class of 2012's Fellowship in innovation and global leadership. He has also received the Dean's Fellowship Award. |
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Professor Thembela Hillie, one of the CSIR's foremost researchers in the field of nanotechnology, has been selected by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management (MIT Sloan) to pursue a one-year mid-career fellowship in innovation and global leadership.
The fellowship culminates with an MIT degree - technologists can choose the degree they wish to earn, namely an MBA, an MS in management, or an MS in the management of technology.
MIT is the nerve centre of innovation and entrepreneurship where the best minds in business and technology combine strengths to improve the way we live and work. It provides a unique environment for fellows to review problems with business leaders of technology-based companies as well as with leading scientists and economists (some being Nobel Laureates) to link knowledge generation and technology development.
Hillie quips: "With just one year to learn and absorb all of that, I will not be drinking from a fountain of knowledge, but rather a fire-hose!"
Kid in a candy store
The Sloan fellowship programme combines fundamental core financial courses with electives in technology strategies that examine issues from the perspectives of both large corporations and emerging technology-based enterprises, providing a toolkit for technology innovation. With the prospect of being able to take his electives and the optional thesis at Sloan, MIT (other faculties) and at Harvard University through cross-registration, Hillie feels like a kid in a candy store.
"However, my choice of electives and thesis will be informed by what the CSIR seeks to achieve in this space, to understand effective technology development strategies and to attain a broader perspective of implementing sustainable emerging technologies in the developing world," he says.
"Emerging technologies (including nanotechnology) are critical to long-term global prosperity. They represent the innovation that adds necessary socio-economic value to materials, products and processes. They promise potential solutions to a wide range of pressing global challenges, including energy generation and storage, health care, climate change, food security and access to clean water. Without improved technology innovation, many potential emerging technologies will not mature to the point where they can be used effectively," explains Hillie.
Broader CSIR plan
The CSIR is in the process of strengthening its capabilities on the downstream side of the innovation value chain, in support of the efforts of the Technology Innovation Agency and also to ensure that the research efforts have an impact on society. As such, the CSIR is developing a range of in-house training courses, which are aimed at stimulating an innovative environment within the organisation. In this regard, the CSIR also supports external opportunities that will expose senior researchers to a broader range of innovation enabling leadership skills.
Hillie feels the leadership component, which is equally significant in this fellowship, will provide him with the confidence to use expanded skills and capabilities on the world stage. He maintains that the collective leadership roles he has played on the global stage for nanotechnology and development; in IBSA, Meridian Institute, ICS-UNIDO and the World Economic Forum, were the defining experiences in his development as a leader and were also considered in his selection.
Dean's Fellowship
Apart from having been accepted into the class of 2012, Hillie has also received a Dean's fellowship award to the value of $90 000.
He is very thankful for the CSIR's support and for being allowed a year's sabbatical to pursue this dream opportunity.
"When you graduate, you join a network of powerful global leaders that includes the alumni of MIT, MIT Sloan, and the Society of Sloan Fellows of MIT. I hope to return with the innovation and leadership skills needed to help bridge that gap between knowledge and application to provide a positive impact. In my field, nanotechnology, this will become even more important in years to come."
Members of the MIT Sloan class of 2012 commence their studies on 6 June 2011. Hillie attended an orientation week in April and reported for duty at MIT Sloan on 28 May.
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