MAKING A DIFFERENCE

One of the most important things we can do in Wales is to give our young people the opportunity to succeed.

That is why the Global Academy at the University of Wales has set up a new initiative in partnership with Cardiff Business Club.

The University of Wales travelling innovation scholarship will enable a graduate of the University of Wales to visit MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) to meet leading world experts and learn how they can develop their entrepreneurial ideas into world class products or services back here in Wales.

MIT’s entrepreneurship programmes are amongst the best in the world, resulting in 25,800 active companies that have been founded by MIT alumni. These currently employ about 3.3 million people and generate annual world sales of £1.5 trillion, producing the equivalent of the 11th-largest economy in the world.

The aim of the scheme is to enlighten and nurture Welsh graduates with the necessary skills and knowledge so that they are better equipped to maximise their business potential. It is hoped that the beneficiary of the scheme will then be able to contribute to developing a more entrepreneurial Welsh economy.

The first winner of the University of Wales travelling scholarship is Baz Dhaliwal, a former product design student from UWIC.

Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach presented Baz with the award at a special dinner in Cardiff Business Club on Monday, April 13 (see above for photo of Baz with Gerald Davies, your correspondent and Lord Griffiths).

Baz’s start-up business, Rikoset Ltd, is developing new and innovative products to prevent injuries in sport, help rehabilitation and improve the performance of professional athletes.

The company is currently developing its first product which is an advanced shin guard aimed at professional footballers, a product which was originally conceived as an undergraduate product design project.

Speaking to Baz after the dinner, he was absolutely delighted about winning the scholarship and saw it as an excellent opportunity to meet some of the world's leading experts on business and technology to help push my business to the next stage.

His company, Rikoset are in the process of developing other products that have been conceived as a direct result of research conducted for the shin guard. The visit to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and accessing the knowledge and expertise at this world leading entrepreneurial and technical university will help the development of these products.

This is the first time we have tried something like this at the University of Wales and it came about after a conversation with Gerald Davies, the Chairman of the Club, who believed that Wales should be doing more to get young people to gain different experiences in different business environments.

We were delighted to put together this inaugural scholarship and hopefully make a real difference. One can only hope that other organisations follow our lead and give our young people opportunities to develop their potential.