SKOKIE, IL--(Marketwire - May 3, 2010) - NanoProfessor™, a division of NanoInk, Inc.® focused on delivering hands-on nanotechnology education to undergraduate students, is pleased to announce that Colombia's Servico Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA) or National Training Service, has selected the NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program to prepare high school and university students for careers in nanotechnology. SENA acquired the NanoProfessor Program through NanoInk's authorized distributor in Colombia, Khymós S.A. SENA will initially launch the NanoProfessor Program at education centers in Bogotá, followed by locations in Medellín, Pereria, and El Espinal.
Created in 1957, SENA invests in the social and technical development of Colombian workers. It offers vocational training for the pursuit of productive activities that contribute to the economic, social and technical development of the country. SENA courses are defined by the needs and perspectives of productive industry sectors and include training that leads to the operational and instrumental mastery of a given occupation, the technical and technological knowledge the occupation requires, and the ability for the student to adapt to changes in the industry.
"The addition of the NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program to our existing science and technology curriculum will provide students with an opportunity to learn about the applications of nanotechnology while gaining valuable hands-on experience using the very same equipment used in the field today," said Dario Alonso Montoya Mejia, SENA General Director. "We look forward to establishing the NanoProfessor Program in Bogotá, followed by other locations throughout Colombia."
According to the American-based National Science Foundation, nanotechnology will become a $1 trillion global market by 2015 and will require a skilled workforce of more than two million nanotechnology workers. Currently there are only 20,000 nanotechnologists working in the field, which are pioneering innovations and breakthroughs in many industries including biotechnology, electronics, energy and medicine.
"NanoProfessor applauds SENA for its proactive efforts to bring nanotechnology education and training to Colombia," said Dean Hart, executive vice president of NanoInk. "By implementing the NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program, Colombia is demonstrating its strong commitment to becoming a world leader in the development, growth and innovation of this rapidly developing technology."
The NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program aims to expand hands-on nanotechnology education from the cleanrooms of research-based universities to undergraduate classrooms and is especially well-suited to nanotechnology educational initiatives at the community college, technical school, and undergraduate university level. The program alternates between classroom lectures and hands-on lab work and includes a 275-page textbook authored by leading nanotechnology experts covering the topics of Nanotechnology Basics, NanoPhysics, NanoChemistry, NanoBiology and Environmental, Health, and Safety perspectives on nanotechnology.
During the hands-on lab experiments, students learn the fundamentals for building custom-engineered, nanoscale structures while working with state-of-the-art equipment including NanoInk's NLP 2000 Desktop NanoFabrication System, a student-friendly atomic force microscope (AFM), an advanced fluorescence microscope, and various chemical and biological materials used today within current and emerging nanotechnology applications.
For more information on how the NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program can be implemented at your community college, technical institute, high school or university, please call (847) 679-NANO (6266) or visit www.NanoProfessor.net.
About the NanoProfessor™ Nanoscience Education Program
The NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program aims to advance the field of nanoscience and address the growing need for a skilled workforce of nanotechnologists. The NanoProfessor Program, including instruments, an expert-driven curriculum, and student/teacher support materials, is available for community colleges, technical institues, and universities worldwide. More information is available at www.NanoProfessor.net. You can also follow NanoProfessor on Facebook® at www.facebook.com/pages/NanoProfessorTM/367787368082.
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