ENGINEER Jose A. Zafaralla, education program specialist, attended a three-day international conference on Technology Licensing for ASEAN Countries held in Taipei, Taiwan, Oct. 25-27.  Zafaralla was one of four participants from the Philippines.

The program, attended by 25 participants from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, was organized and implemented by the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship in cooperation with the Interchange Association of Japan.  It aimed to acquaint participants with the concept, system, and practice of industry-academia collaboration for creating new industries and strengthening the competitiveness of exiting industries in Japan, as well as in other countries, in which technology licensing organizations are playing a key role.  Likewise, it enabled participants to make concrete future action plans to promote industry-academia collaboration through technology licensing in their respective countries.

Zafaralla’s work experience as a professional expert in a university engaged in industrial promotion, technology development, and industry-academia collaboration activities qualified him to attend the said program.  He is noted for the development of machines such as the kawayan pole maker and the kawayan tile maker.  He is also instrumental in the production of kawayan e-products. His innovations have brought national recognition for the university for capturing awards such as the Most Outstanding Likha Award given by the Department of Science and Technology. He is, likewise, recipient of the Takuat Award given by MMSU.