Binational Training Program Brings Eight Egyptians to 2024 AUTM Annual Meeting

The AUTM Annual Meeting is all about partnerships, and not just those that are focused on a specific innovation. This year, eight technology transfer professionals traveled from Egypt to San Diego to attend the Annual Meeting, thanks to a unique collaboration involving AUTM and five other organizations from two countries—all with a common mission to advance research translation on a global level.  

The Egyptian attendees are part of a technology transfer training program provided by AUTM in partnership with Egypt’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Funding Authority; the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research; the US Agency for International Development (USAID); the US Department of State and the US National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The program is funded through the US-Egypt Science and Technology Joint Fund, which was established through a cooperative agreement between the governments of the two countries. 

The program began with virtual trainings based on the AUTM Essentials course for more than 60 Egyptian participants selected through a competitive application process. From that group, eight were chosen to make the trip to San Diego for the Annual Meeting. Additional in-person training in Cairo for the larger group of participants is planned for May.  

The US-Egypt S&T Joint Fund’s goals include increasing the role of science, technology and innovation in promoting economic growth and expanding technology commercialization activities in the Egyptian ecosystem. These objectives are aligned with AUTM’s mission to support and advance knowledge/technology transfer worldwide—often in the form of similar training programs in countries outside the US, including one in Hong Kong last fall.  

“Technology is evolving everywhere, and the world is getting smaller in that it’s so much easier for knowledge to flow from one country to another. Our job at AUTM is to capture the knowledge that is relevant to tech transfer and work to make that knowledge available globally through these types of training programs,” said Joy Goswami, AUTM Chair-Elect and Senior Director of Corporate Engagement – Research, Translation and Education at Johns Hopkins University. “And then we see that there’s a domino effect, as the program participants pass their knowledge on to others, and the cycle repeats, continually finding new touchpoints within the global tech transfer community.”  

At the Annual Meeting, the eight US-Egypt program participants each attended two training courses and three days of conference sessions. They spent time in the Exhibit Hall and used AUTM Connect to schedule in-person meetings with other attendees. AUTM Board Members and other seasoned AUTM Members also spent time getting to know the participants and answering their questions.  

“I really enjoyed the vibes of the AUTM annual meeting. It was friendly and relaxed and still professional at the same time,” said Noha Afifi, Manager of the Center of Innovative Technology at the Egypt Japan University of Science and Technology in Alexandria, Egypt. “My favorite memory is the people I met during the meeting. It was an enriching experience meeting technology transfer professionals from all over the globe, discussing with them about common challenges and how to overcome them. It is fascinating how everyone was socializing and willing to assist.”  

Remember those standing-room-only sessions on AI and tech transfer? That’s about to become a popular topic in Egypt too.    

“One of the unique things I have learned during the sessions is the use of AI in a technology transfer office. This can be of great importance to me as we are limited in number in my office,” Afifi said. “I still have to learn more about this topic, but AUTM sessions have opened my eyes to this hidden gem.”  

The experience was rewarding for program participants with entrepreneurial interests as well. 

“I am truly excited to share how this experience deeply aligns with my journey—focused on building R&D based companies to leverage new innovations that tackle bottleneck challenges people may face in their daily life,” said Khalid Wael, CTO at biotech company Chitosan Egypt, posted on LinkedIn. “This enriching experience in technology valuation and licensing, negotiation and bridging academia with industry has equipped me with the tools to transform groundbreaking research outcomes into impactful, market-ready solutions.”