Last week at swissnex, the Swiss Consulate in Cambridge, university communications and institutional research experts  expressed frustration at the ways in which university rankings are established–and doubt about the accuracy and usefulness of most rankings.

Urs Hugentobler, head of Institutional Research at ETH Zürich/Swiss Federal Institute of Technology–the top ranked university outside of the US– described the vagaries of ranking systems and especially the nebulous “reputation” category, which both impacts and is impacted by a university’s ranking.

Norbert  Staub,  head of internal communications and deputy head of corporate communications at ETH, emphasizzed the importance of  managing a university’s reputation in order to attract students, donors, funding, faculty and the like–all of which influence and are influenced by  rankings.

Roundtable participants  Dawn Terkla,  Associate Provost for Institutional Research and Evaluation at Tufts University,  and  John Scanlon,  an institutional researcher at Harvard,  described the challenges involved in responding to differing requests from numerous  ranking agencies and in evaluating the meaning of rankings when results change from year to year.

Hugentobler pointed out that rankings  ordinarily do not change substantially over the short term–but Terkla  said that one year, Tufts saw a 30% decline when a ranking agency changed its methodology.    All of the participants agreed that rankings that can be inaccurate, haphazard and difficult to influence.

Gina Vild, associate dean for communications and external relations at Harvard Medical School said that while it is not easy for a university composed of many smaller organizations to raise its overall ranking, it may well be possible for individual units  to raise their rankings through communications outreach.  In fact, she said, even a crisis, if well-handled, can  help raise rankings by increasing an institution’s name recognition and enhancing its reputation.

undefined | Harris Communications Group

Joe Wrinn, former director of news and public affairs at Harvard, emphasized the importance of honesty and transparency in dealing with crises and the media.

But several participants   cited examples of  rather nefarious tactics–such as inviting huge numbers of unqualified applicants to apply for admission and then turning them down in order up appear more selective and, thus, obtain higher rankings. And before the meeting, Hugentobler mentioned that it is not uncommon for Asian universities to contact those in Europe–at the very least  enhanging name recognition should they be contacted by a ranking company.

As moderator, I asked if any of the participants knew of instances when the rankings had been used to encourage positive change within a university; no one responded.

When I mentioned that it seemed like universities are held hostage by the rankers,  Terka said that if universities don’t  respond,  they will likely be ranked anyway.  Philip Altbach, director of the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, agreed–saying that sometimes university units are ranked even if they don’t exist.

When I asked what can be done to remedy the situation, both Terkla and Scanlon mentioned that institutional researchers often communicate with ranking agencies in order to ascertain what information is being sought. Terkla said that an organization comprised of  institutional research experts frequently discusses the rankings.   James Honan,  senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, advised:  “Educate your trustees” so they understand what rankings do and do not show.

HarrisCom Group member David Rosen, former Chief Communications Officer at Brandeis and  Harvard Universities, the University of Chicago, and Emerson College, posted a blog on various  international ranking systems and how communicators can influence results at eduniverse.org:

—Anita M. Harris

Anita Harris is president of the Harris Communications Group, a strategic pr and marketing communications firm specializing in health, science, technology, education and energy.

Governor Deval Patrick and Medicon Valley Officials after signing collaboration agreement at 2012 Bio International Convention on 6/20/12. Photo by Anita Harris, Harris Communications Group.

“It’s not about what we can give you or take; it’s about how we can share.” So said Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick before signing a collaboration agreement with officials from Medicon Valley MOU –located in the Capital Region of Denmark, Region Zealand in Denmark and Region Skåne in Sweden. The  agreement was one of two  partnerships signed today between Massachusetts and European regions. The second was with Catalonia, Spain.  Both  agreements were signed at the BIO International Convention.

“Our innovation economy is thriving here in Massachusetts and establishing and encouraging international partnerships is an important part of our future growth,” Governor Patrick said. “Catalonia and Medicon Valley are important regions in Europe’s innovation sector, and these partnerships will allow us to move forward on our mutual goals in this part of the global economy.”

The Medicon Valley memo of understanding (MOU) was signed by Governor Patrick and officials from the Capital Region of Denmark, Region Zealand in Denmark and Region Skåne in Sweden.

The agreement focuses on enhancing research partnerships in life sciences by an exchange of researchers and students; identifying special projects, partnerships or collaborations that can lead to new or enhanced research opportunities; and establishing a framework to be used in joint projects that could be financed by the European Union or National Institute of Health to develop new products and processes that can be used in the global market, according to a press release furnished by the governor’s office.

Medicon Valley is a bi-national region composed of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark and the Skåne region of southern Sweden. It is home to over 200 companies in biotech, med-tech, and pharmaceuticals with over 350 additional companies in those fields having affiliate or branch offices in the region. These industries employ 40,000 people.

The MOU with Catalonia, Spain was signed by Governor Patrick and the President of Catalonia, Spain Artur Mas I Gavarro, with U.S. Ambassador to Spain Alan Solomont present for the signing. The Patrick-Murray Administration has partnered with the Catalan Government to put real collaboration into a renewed agreement on the 20^th anniversary of Lieutenant Governor Paul Cellucci signing a Declaration of Intent of Cooperation in 1992 between Massachusetts and Catalonia, according to the release.

The agreement facilitates collaboration in the following areas:

a)         Bilateral cooperation in research, and technological and industrial innovation;

b)         Business cooperation and economic development in key productive sectors, especially in life sciences, renewable energy, information technology, advanced manufacturing and infrastructure, and;

c)         Academic cooperation.

Catalonia has pursued a policy similar to Governor Patrick’s of investing in the innovation economy. Areas of convergence include the life sciences, mobile devices, clean energy technology, and advanced infrastructure. In 2011, Spain was Massachusetts’ 21st largest export partner, with Massachusetts exporting approximately $326.99 million worth of goods and services.

The BIO International Convention provides Governor Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray, state and industry leaders with an opportunity to showcase Massachusetts as a global leader in the life sciences industry, and the preeminent place for life sciences companies to invest in and expand. On Tuesday, Governor Patrick announced the first round of grants awarded under the Massachusetts-Israel Innovation Partnership (MIIP). MIIP is a formal collaboration between the State of Israel and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to encourage and support innovation and entrepreneurship between Massachusetts’ and Israel’s life sciences, clean energy and technology sectors. A total of at least $1.3 million is being awarded to four research & development (R&D) collaborations between Massachusetts and Israeli companies that have been jointly approved by the funding agencies on both sides. The total budget of the awarded projects is estimated at approximately $3 million. The Massachusetts awardees are located in Natick, Needham, North Billerica and Wilbraham.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor joined seven global biopharmaceutical companies to announce the formation of the Massachusetts Neuroscience Consortium. Participating companies include Abbott, Biogen Idec, EMD Serono, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Merck, Pfizer and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. The Consortium will fund pre-clinical neuroscience at Massachusetts academic and research institutions.

Governor Patrick’s ten-year, $1 billion life sciences investment package has strengthened the state’s global leadership in the life sciences. The initiative melds all of the state’s key resources in order to spur research, investment, innovation and commercialization. Now the life sciences industry in Massachusetts is thriving, with more than 52 percent job growth in the biopharma sector since 2001 and more than 80,000 employees working in the life sciences.

–Anita M. Harris
New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, an award-winning  public relations and marketing communications agency located in Cambridge, MA.

###

BOSTON — Wednesday, June 20, 2012 — Seven global biopharmaceutical companies have each pledged to contribute $250,000 a new consortium that will fund preclinical neuroscience research in order to accelerate and make available academic research from Massachusetts to the pharmaceutical industry, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and consortium members announced today.

Companies participating in the Massachusetts Neuroscience Consortium include Abbott, Biogen Idec, EMD Serono, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Merck, Pfizer and Sunovion PharPmaceuticals Inc.

“From Alzheimer’s disease, to Parkinson’s disease, to multiple sclerosis, neurological diseases affect millions of Americans and millions more across the globe,” Patrick said. “Through the research that this consortium will fund, we aim to bring those people, their families, and many others hope for a better future.”

The announcement took place in the Massachusetts Pavilion at the 2012 BIO International Convention.

According to a press release from the governor’s office: the Consortium is a pioneering new model designed to leverage Massachusetts’ rich environment for purposes of accelerating early-stage research available to the pharmaceutical industry, introducing academic researchers to the challenges of targeted research, and facilitating industry-academic collaborations.

A number of factors make the Massachusetts Neuroscience Consortium unique:

• Proposed projects will be short-term and results-oriented. Timelines, milestones, budgets and objectives will be clearly defined by the industry sponsors.

• Industry sponsors will identify common standards, e.g. levels of validation necessary for a project objective to be considered “complete.”

• Industry sponsors will work in collaboration with principal investigators and their teams; sponsors also will contribute tools, data and other resources to the project teams to expedite their work.

• Results are shared with all participants; companies and academic researchers will have access to the use of any tools developed by each project; industry sponsors will determine their interest in validated targets as projects are completed.

“The Consortium is a pioneering new model that is designed to leverage the rich research environment in Massachusetts for purposes of accelerating pre-clinical research available to the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, introducing academic researchers to the challenges of targeted research, and facilitating industry-academic partnerships,” said Susan-Windham Bannister, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. “I sincerely thank our seven charter members for stepping up to this challenge and joining in this new collaboration.”

Each participating company has pledged to contribute $250,000 to the Consortium, for total initial funding of $1.75 million. Members of the Consortium will solicit and review proposals from academic research institutions for pre-clinical neuroscience research. The first solicitation is expected to open in the fall of 2012. All Massachusetts academic and research institutions will be eligible to apply for grant funding through the Consortium. The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center will administer the Consortium, and will use its convening power to reduce barriers to collaboration and to expedite access to the research community.

Massachusetts is a center of excellence in the field of biomedical neuroscience with world leaders representing all major fields of neurobiology and neurology. The combination of basic neuroscience, translational and clinical research across more than a dozen world-renowned institutions represents what may be the world’s highest density of neuroscience research. This provides a rich and fertile environment within which to advance the understanding and treatment of brain disorders.

“EMD Serono is proud to be a part of this new initiative to further neuroscience research within our company’s home state of Massachusetts,” said James Hoyes, President of EMD Serono. “This Consortium represents true collaboration amongst industry leaders, to foster breakthroughs in science today that will change the shape of medicine for tomorrow. We look forward to accelerating research and innovation in the area of neuroscience, and together, making a difference in the lives of patients.”

“Janssen Research & Development is pleased to be a charter sponsor of this innovative approach to advance neuroscience research,” said Husseini Manji, MD, Global Therapeutic Area Head, Neuroscience, Janssen R&D. “We believe scientific collaboration that brings together the best ideas and expertise from both academia and industry will play an important role in helping translate basic science discoveries into promising new treatments.”

“We are delighted to be a founding member of the Neuroscience Consortium,” said Douglas E. Williams, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Research and Development at Biogen Idec. “New types of collaborations among academia and industry are increasingly important to stimulating the discovery of better therapies and advancing science and medicine. At Biogen Idec, we are working on discovering and developing drugs across a number of areas in neurodegenerative disease and believe that this first-of-its-kind collaboration among the state, biopharmaceutical companies and top academic researchers is important for maintaining a vibrant and innovative research organization and making sure we deliver better therapies to patients with these difficult diseases.”

“Pfizer Neuroscience is in Cambridge, Massachusetts, largely due to the intense concentration of neuroscience thought leaders,” said Dr. Michael Ehlers, Chief Scientific Officer for Pfizer Neuroscience. “This collaboration is a step forward in our effort to address the urgent need for therapies in neurologic and psychiatric disease.”

“This is an exciting and promising new model for collaboration to advance the study of behavioral health and neuroscience disorders. Sunovion is proud to participate in this initiative,” said Richard Russell, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. “The Life Sciences Center has played an essential role in convening this group and making this collaboration happen, and we thank them for their leadership.”

“The academic research community is committed to understanding these neurologic conditions at the most basic and fundamental molecular level, and most importantly, to translating that depth of understanding into clinical application,” said Jeffrey S. Flier, Dean of Harvard Medical School. “Basic discovery and translational science are essential to our success, and we in academia have the infrastructure to do it.”

“When I was first diagnosed with MS nearly 20 years ago, there were no approved treatments on the market,” said Joann D’Amico Stone of Waltham. “Since that time, there have been tremendous advancements made, opening up a number of options for patients – including my MS treatment from Biogen Idec. It’s heartening to see these companies collaborating, because I think that it will ultimately help speed and increase the number of important treatments that can benefit patients like me.”

“In 2009 I became the fourth member of my extended family to be officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease,” said Allen Krieger of Lexington, a distinguished astrophysicist. “Alzheimer’s has changed my life in a number of ways – I have difficulty finding things, making decisions, and remembering things that used to be routine. I’ve participated in clinical trials and other research to do what I can to help. This consortium is a new and promising approach to advancing Alzheimer’s research through collaboration between the companies and academic institutions that are leading the way in the search for a cure.”

“We are in a race against time in our fight to find treatments and a cure for Alzheimer’s,” said James Wessler, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, MA/NH Chapter. “We applaud Governor Patrick and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center for the foresight shown in the creation of this new neuroscience consortium. For the 120,000 people in Massachusetts with Alzheimer’s, this cannot come soon enough.”

The BIO International Convention provides Governor Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray, state and industry leaders with an opportunity to showcase Massachusetts as a global leader in the life sciences industry, and the preeminent place for life sciences companies to invest in and expand.

Governor Patrick’s ten-year, $1 billion life sciences investment package has strengthened the state’s global leadership in the life sciences. The initiative melds all of the state’s key resources in order to spur research, investment, innovation and commercialization. Now the life sciences industry in Massachusetts is thriving, with more than 52 percent job growth in the biopharma sector since 2001 and more than 80,000 employees working in the life sciences.

–Anita M. Harris

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group” , an award winning public relations and marketing communications firm based in Cambridge,

CNN host Fareed Zakaria said yesterday that despite the world’s current economic and political difficulties,   he is optimistic about the future  but that it is by no means clear “who will be winners and the losers”  in what he called a “new global landscape.”

In a keynote talk at the Biotechnology Industry Organization International Convention in Boston,  Zakaria said, that the world is currently “extraordinarily  peaceful” compared with previous decade and that it is quite “unified, with a global economic system, interactive communications and technology and greater computing power than ever before.  (For example,  the cell phone has more computing power than did the Apollo spacecraft capsule in 1969. ” It could go to the moon, he said, but it could not tweet,”  he quipped. )

In the past, he said, the US has always been able to emerge from  economic difficulties  due to its tremendous capacity to innovate–and in the second half of the twentieth century, maintained a substantial economic and innovative edge over other nations.  But, he said, “we forget that at other times, other countries have  had the edge.”    He asked, “Will the US  maintain its edge?”

Zakaria outlined what he called three distinct historical  phases or causes that, he said, account for the US’  “extraordinary” lead:

(1) During World War II, the forces of destruction had a huge spillover effect.  Germany, a major US competitor, was “leveled to the ground” and England was bankrupted.

(2) During the Cold War, fears of losing out to the USSR in the 1950s  led the US government to make double the investment in US companies than it is making now;  government purchases of US computers and components accounted for the lion’s share of profits for those companies, until the cost curve began to decline. What is more, the government invested heavily in higher education, so that citizens could obtain the world’s finest education in public universities” without paying a cent”

(3) “The third pillar was Jews ” he said. “If  Hitler had not made the morally reprehensible to target Jews, the US would not have had the influx of scientists who created the bomb, transformed theoretical physics and gave the US a 30-year lead.”

What this shows, he said,  is that America’s propensity of innovate is “not due to DNA,” but rather, that there are specific historical reasons why the US took a commanding lead.

Today, he said, there is a new global landscape  in which it is possible for smaller nations– such as Denmark, where  the Global company Novo Nordisk, known for its diabetes treatments,  was founded–  to be at the leading edge in certain technologies.

What is more, Zakaria pointed out,  innovation does not necessarily correlate directly with spending for research and development.  Apple is often considered one of the most innovative companies in the world–but that is because it understood consumers and  how to create a new need,  rather than because it offers the most cutting edge technology, he said.  “Big company and big country advantages no longer hold, going forward.”

On a panel following the talk, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, founder and chair  of the Indian biotechnology company Biocon, said that the current process of biotechnology development is unsustainable and most products are too expensive to benefit most of those who need them.  “Countries in Asia must reinvent the process of drug innovation,” she said.

Greg Lucier, CEO of Life Technologies, which supplies systems, biological reagents and services to enable scientific research, said that  new genomics tools will be the stimulus to streamline innovation, cut costs,  and change the future of  human health.

Derek Hanekom,  South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Science and Technology emphasized the importance of  government’s role in providing access to care and sanitation. Governments can promote innovation by recognizing and supporting it,  reducing unnecessary regulations yet adding regulations to promote competition, and supporting  education to develop a skilled workforce.

Yucel Altunbasak, president of Tubitak, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, listed financing, talented people, regulatory framework, and a governmental support mechanism as keys to helping emerging markets do “what the US did in the 1950’s.”

Four Massachusetts-Israeli business collaborations have received a total of $1.3M in grant funding under the  Massachusetts-Israel Innovation Partnership (MIIP)–a  formal collaboration between the State of Israel and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to encourage and support innovation and entrepreneurship between Massachusetts’ and Israel’s life sciences, clean energy and technology sectors.

The grants were announced yesterday at the  2012 BIO International Convention in Boston by Massachusetts  Governor Deval Patrick and  Israeli Chief Scientist Avi Hasson, of  MATIMOP, the  Israel Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor.

The four winning projects are:

• SBH Sciences (Natick) and Improdia (Israel) will work together toward the development and manufacture of a chronic inflammation-dependent immunosuppression prognostic kit. SBH will receive $184,000 from the Center and Improdia will receive $202,000 from Israel’s OCS.SBH Sciences is a discovery and preclinical contract research organization with expertise in production and analysis of cytokines and biomarkers. Improdia is a life science start-up focused on implementing novel biomarkers for immune system modulating therapies– using  simple blood tests for patients with chronic disease.

•  Automated Medical Instruments (AMI – Needham) and STI Lasers (Israel) will develop new technology involving radio frequency energy to perform circumferential ablation of the pulmonary veins. AMI will receive $116,000 from the Center and STI Lasers will receive $110,000 from OCS. AMI is a start-up medical device company developing novel technology to perform atrial fibrillation treatment. STI Lasers is a medical device company specializing in laser cutting, micromachining and finishing of miniature metal components.“AMI is developing the CircumBlator™,  to offer a reliable and curative, minimally invasive treatment for millions of patients with atrial fibrillation, a disease that causes over 20 percent of strokes and untold misery,” said Martin Sklar, President and CEO of Automated Medical Instruments.

• Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc. (North Billerica) and Check-Cap (Israel) will  develop a novel 3-D imaging capsule that can be used to screen for polyps and lesions associated with colorectal cancer. Lantheus will receive $300,000 from MTC and Check-Cap has been selected to receive at least an equal amount from OCS. Lantheus  develops, manufactures and distributes innovative diagnostic imaging agents. Check Cap is a medical device company located in Mount Carmel, Israel with a “breakthrough” solution for Colorectal Cancer Screening.  “As a global leader in diagnostic imaging, Lantheus is dedicated to providing physicians with breakthrough new tools to enhance patient care. Teaming up with Check-Cap to develop and manufacture a cutting-edge imaging capsule further advances this ongoing commitment,” said Don Kiepert, President and CEO, Lantheus Medical Imaging.

• FloDesign Sonics (Wilbraham) and Transbiodiesel (Israel)  will use FloDesign’s acoustic molecule separation technology to separate oil that can be used to create fuel from Transbiodiesel’s oil-generating algae. FloDesign Sonics will receive $55,000 from MassCEC and Transbiodiesel will receive $20,958 from OCS. FloDesign Sonics uses a novel ultrasonic acoustophoretic separation technology developed at Western New England University for a more efficient approach to wastewater treatment and micro-algae harvesting for biofuels. Transbiodiesel is a start- up company with a novel technology for producing biodiesel fuels from a variety of oils

The MIIP program was first announced in June 2011 at the BIO International Convention in Washington, D.C. and the first joint solicitation for proposals was launched in September 2011 by MATIMOP on the Israeli side and by the three participating Massachusetts agencies: the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). Total funding for the current projects is approximately $3m.

The partnership came as a result of a 2011 trade mission in which  Governor Patrick and a coalition of Massachusetts business executives and senior government officials explored growth opportunities of common interest for Massachusetts’ and Israel’s innovation industries. During that mission Governor Patrick and Shalom Simhon, Israeli Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, signing on behalf of their respective states, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Jerusalem. MIIP was established to implement the MOU’s framework.

Massachusetts is the first U.S. state to establish a significant industrial R&D program with the State of Israel, according to a press release issued yesterday by Patrick’s office.

Today there are nearly 100 companies with Israeli founders or Israeli-licensed technologies in Massachusetts, according to the release.  In 2009, these companies employed nearly 6,000 people and generated $2.4 billion in direct revenue for the state. Local firms exported over $180 million worth of goods to Israel in 2009. Home to 377 hospitals and 37,000 practicing physicians, Israel is an important market for health-related technologies.

The New England-Israel Business Council, the US-Israel Science and Technology Foundation, the Government of Israel Economic Mission to North America, the Consulate General of Israel to New England and MOITI have all played an important role in promoting the program, according to the release.

–Anita M. Harris

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, an award-winning strategic public relations,  marketing communications and thought leadership firm in Cambridge, MA.