NanoInk announced today the launch of the first curriculum-led nanotechnology project, the NanoProfessor Project, which will provide training to future nanotechnologists of the 21st century. The NanoProfessor Project will develop practical resources for undergraduate education in precise technologies at the nanoscale level. Students will learn through hands-on experience, working with real equipment and integrated curriculum. The project will demonstrate a public-private partnership model to build a nanotechnology workforce in the coming years. The NanoProfessor Project will also make 21st century education and workforce development in nanotechnology accessible to smaller two and four year colleges.
"The NanoProfessor Project represents a giant step in the effort to educate the nanotechnologists of tomorrow," said Jim Hussey, chief executive officer of NanoInk. "With the growing demand for nanotechnologists, it is more important than ever that we take the initiative and demonstrate our dedication to bettering the industry and the people that are its future. The sooner we can provide them the tools they need to succeed, the sooner they can apply that knowledge to grow the industry and its applications."
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has estimated that the world will require two million trained nanotechnologists by 2015. Presently, there are approximately 20,000 nanotechnologists worldwide. (Source: National Nanotechnology Initiative, NNI). Over the last eight years, NanoInk has demonstrated the ability to develop new tools for bench-top nanofabrication, specifically their recently launched DPN 5000 and NLP 2000 nanofabrication systems. With the NanoProfessor Project, NanoInk hopes to take nanotechnology education to the next level.