Georgia Tech President Wayne Clough said participants among the eight industrialized nations at a July symposium support innovation to stimulate partnerships involving businesses, government and academic institutions.

The White House asked Clough to serve as the United States' senior representative among G-8 participants at the Business and University Leaders Symposium on Innovation in Russia.

Clough attended an innovation forum in Moscow that featured leaders known for their successes and cutting-edge research prior to the G-8 symposium in St. Petersburg.

"We did develop a communique and it was endorsed by the G-8 leaders," Clough said. "There was a general understanding of the importance of research universities and a stress on those that understood the linkage with government and industry."

Clough told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "We talked about the need for the work force of the future and how we need to create public-private partnerships. It sounded like we were at a metro Atlanta chamber meeting."

While in Moscow, Clough had a "very positive discussion of exchange programs with Moscow State Technical University for students and faculty. We will have an exchange program with them next summer."

President George W. Bush appointed Clough to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in 2001 and in 2004 Bush nominated him to the National Science Board. Clough's other service activities include vice chair of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness and co-chair of the 2004 National Innovation Initiative, chair of the National Academies Katrina Commission and chair of The Engineer of 2020 Project for the National Academy of Engineering.

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