World Polymer Academy pilot a success

The first ‘Polyolefins Research' course has been successfully completed. All participants (10 PhDs from DPI partner companies and 5 from DPI partner knowledge institutions) were enthusiastic in their reactions to this post-academic course.

The DPI Value Centre sees the course as a step in the direction of the foundation of the World Polymer Academy, an initiative that is part of the Polymer Innovation Programme. Plans for the course will gain tangible form in 2009. The aim is to raise the level of knowledge of employees at companies and knowledge institutions active in the field of polymers. This aim is prompted by the considerable demand from industry for education in polymers so that their employees can gain this specific knowledge that they often lack. The idea is that existing courses, like the RPK courses of PTN (the Polymer Technonoly Research School in the Netherlands), are retained and given a place in the World Polymer Academy. The education focuses for the time being on the higher vocational and university level.

The first ‘Polyolefin Chemistry,Catalysis and Microstructure' module was taught in October and November at the Federico II University of Napels under the supervision of Professor Vincenzo Busico, who is also scientific chairman of the Polyolefines cluster that is part of the Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI) research programme. Professor Busico is happy with the enthusiastic reactions. He is working with Professor Piet Lemstra of the Eindhoven University of Technology to organise the second module due to be taught in the first part of 2009. A total of four modules are planned. The other three will focus on the physics, rheology and processing of polyolefines.

More information: DPI Value Centre.