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BUNDOORA
FISHERMANS BEND
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HO CHI MINH CITY
HANOI
Putting engineering’s poetry into words
Paul Kooperman has helped put the poetry of engineering into words in a trial for
an innovative collaboration between engineering giant Siemens and RMIT
University Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Dr Marcus Powe.
Poets were open to innovation and different ways of looking at things, which made
the collaboration a perfect meeting of minds, Dr Powe said.
“To see how someone who is a master of words can bring out the beauty of
science and innovation and communicate that to a larger audience is a joy,” he
said.
“People should no longer be put into the creative set or the business set. There are
no sets. It should be business and artists together.”
Siemens Head of Communications, Herna van Reenen, said the company valued
education, science, technology and above all, innovation.
“Siemens and RMIT have a long-standing partnership, which includes the Siemens
RMIT Fine Arts Awards scholarship program, as well as various engineering
scholarship awards,” she said.
"We believe that collaboration is the key to solving issues.
“Our collaboration with RMIT on innovative projects such as this one is just one
example of how we apply this within our business practices at Siemens."
Mr Kooperman said his pilot project for the company had involved turning a 40-
page brochure into a one-page document for staff.
“I believe that corporations should have an artistic or creative writer in residence to
work on projects like this that fall outside of their usual marketing and public
relations communications roles,” he said.
“An artistic or creative writer in this position understands how they work and how
they can work with them on creative materials.”
Dr Powe and Mr Kooperman have worked together on United Vision
Entertainment, a venture that they hope will provide artists with economic and
artistic independence. Mr Kooperman is also Acting Director of the Australian
Poetry Centre.
For interviews or comment: RMIT Entrepreneur in Residence Marcus Powe,
(03) 9925 1418. Paul Kooperman, 0413 470 895.
For general media enquiries: RMIT University Communications, Louise
Handran, (03) 9925 9088 or 0411 261 469. Siemens Communications, Bianca
Nelson (03) 9721 7590.
28 October, 2009
NEWS 
