LINKING WITH UNIVERSITIES FOR STIMULATING AN ORGANIZATION S INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL

LINKING WITH UNIVERSITIES FOR STIMULATING AN ORGANIZATION'S INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL

One way that organizations can maximize their human capital and intellectual wealth is by partnering with universities. In the 1980s and during the early days of commercialized artificial intelligence, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) linked with Carnegie Mellon University for developing expert systems for DEC's applications (such as computer configuration, computer sales assistance, etc.). NASA has actively involved universities throughout the years to contribute to NASA's intellectual capital. For example, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is really comprised of Cal Tech employees. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory has been involved as principal investigators on NASA satellite missions. In fact, scientists from universities throughout the world have cooperated with NASA on satellite missions, manned missions, and other NASA projects.

The government should continue to reach out to universities for maximizing the agency's human capital. Through summer faculty fellowship programs, graduate student research programs, co-ops and internships, and other university-government programs, faculty and students can inject some new ideas into the agency and, similarly, professors and students can mutually learn from the government employees.