Malaysian PM cleared of any wrong doing. (Selfishly) maybe I can get some attention!

This is not a political blog.
 Proton until recently considered the Malaysian National car and chaired the ex Malaysian PM, Tun Mahathir.
Tun Mahathir and Malaysia's present PM appear to have had a disagreement over funds in the PM's personal bank account.
The BBC says this has been settled.
Malaysia agency says Najib Razak funds 'were donations'

Malaysia's anti-corruption agency has said hundreds of millions of dollars found in Prime Minister Najib Razak's personal accounts were donations, effectively clearing him of wrongdoing.

But it did not disclose who the donors were or what the donations were for.

This has been a bit of a distraction it would seem for the Proton Chairman.

Selfishly (yes I can be selfish) I now hope things will settle down, justice is seen to be done, and the good Doctor can run his eye over my proposal.

I'm not perfect, but I'm pretty honest and have a workable plan I'd like to implement.

Not that I'm an attention seeker!

Would Jackie Stewart endorse my proposal?

Recently I wrote about endorsements on Linkedin. Endorsements genuinely made, and publicly made can be invaluable. More of that later.
This month, I have also made a blog entry on when I made a presentation to the former CEO of Lotus Engineering, Albert Lam.
Albert gave me two hours of his time. He was immaculately dressed and very professional and polite.
However, he could not see a revenue stream. He only saw a noble idea.
No endorsement there.
Albert has gone on to get funding for his own project.
Detroit Electric
This company will buy bodies from Proton and add an electric powertrain.
I haven't seen any for sale.
CODA electric cars do a similar thing.
They do have cars for sale.
You can buy one for just under $30,000 USA after government incentives.

GM are showcasing their new all Electric car SPARK
This will cost about $25,000 after government incentives.

Electric vehicles are now being produced by mainstream OEM's.
It will be interesting to see how the small niche manufacturers compete in what is now a main stream marketplace.

When I first proposed training people using Motorsport as a tool, very few academic institutions were doing so. Cranfield were running Motorsport management courses.
That was it (I think)

Now it is common. Google Motorsport course/education etc and you'll get plent of results..

The UK, America and Malaysia have private Universities.

There is obviously demand for Motorsport (and Football) based studies.

Below the picture is a link to a Football based education initiative.

CLICK FOR VIDEO

I think I need a White Knight. Someone with a higher profile than me to stand up and say, "You know this initiative makes sense."
The gentlemen on this video are all high profile.Alastair Campbell in particular is a regular on UK TV.
 It says a lot about the proposal.People take notice. TV crews turn up.
It's a shame someone like Jackie Stewart doesn't throw his weight behind MUM.
As I write, I'm looking at a picture of him signing my T shirt at the Belle Isle race in 1996.
Presently he is an Ambassador for GENII owners of Lotus F1.

I wrote a blog entry a couple of years ago:
The UK open University seem to have taken to the virtual World,
like Ducks to water!



http://motorsportuniversitymalaysia.blogspot.co.uk/2010_06_01_archive.html


Open University claims record iTunes downloads
The article is very interesting:
The global figure for downloads from iTunes U has reached 250 million.
"The way people want to learn is changing," says Open University vice-chancellor, Martin Bean.

The Open University, once parodied for its late-night television shows, is now pioneering the use of the internet to reach its students.
Chart toppers

It began putting material on Apple's iTunes U service in June 2008 - and in two years has had 20 million items downloaded.
"There is a real worldwide hunger for learning," he says.


Makerbot Video... I like this! BPP Ceo on the BBC

About 17 years ago I was contracted into a General Motors Tech centre in Flint Michigan. One day I passed by a multi head cutter producing a clay version of a door trim.
My thought then was "The end is in sight for clay modellers."

Now, a few grey hairs later we have Makerbot for about a thousand pound sterling.
Here is the video.


If I was in the Design office now, I would definitely buy a couple of these. Virtual is great, but it's so nice to be able to pick something up and feel it and look at it on your desk.

On the BBC yesterday Show me the Money aired episode 32. BPP CEO Carl Lygo appeared on it. It is available online in the UK for the next week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012jgjm

Private Universities are being accepted into many markets. The Apollo Group (BPP owners) are very successful.

Costs for proposed hardware for the MUM project. BBC article says University Education £50 Billion industry

First Johor Circuit.

Based in the Iskandar region of Malaysia. For sale: Price unknown.

Lots of Land for development. The region is supposedly crying out for high tech projects.

 

Second Campus: USA California.

Honda have left their Desert testing facility. Cost $3million +

Huge Campus would cost ten times that much to build from scratch.

Third Campus Michigan: Between Lansing and Ann Arbor: Cost $350,000

Cheap, again would cost ten times that much to build from scratch. 

UK Campus : Hethel Engineering Centre: Land gifted by Lotus: On the same site as Group Lotus

Cost to buy:: Not Applicable 

TODAY MARCH 3RD: Group Lotus HQ expansion plans approved

Any introduction to a willing financial partner would be much appreciated.
Using Malaysian OU figures Revenue for One Million full time students about One Billion Pounds.
A 10% profit margin gives 100 million profit.
Using Phoenix figures from America the figures are much higher.
British Universities can now charge £9000 per year to local students. Much more to foreign ones.

A recent BBC article quote:
"Universities are being seen as a key to the new economies, they're trying to grow the knowledge economy by building a base in universities," says Professor Altbach.

Families, from rural China to eastern Europe, are also seeing university as a way of helping their children to get higher-paid jobs. A growing middle-class in India is pushing an expansion in places.
Universities also stand to gain from recruiting overseas. "Universities in the rich countries are making big bucks," he says. This international trade is worth at least $50 billion a year, he estimates, the lion's share currently being claimed by the US.

New York University in Abu Dhabi: The university's president says this is the era of "global networks"

Universities putting their lectures on itunes. Time to change the mantra.

As you probably know I am promoting MUM. The basic concept is to set up an institute of higher learning on a race circuit.
One side of the equation we have cars workshops lecture halls... all based at a working circuit.
On the other side I see virtual learning.
Today, I read an article on the BBC:
pic borrowed from the BBC

Open University claims record iTunes downloads
The article is very interesting:
The global figure for downloads from iTunes U has reached 250 million.
"The way people want to learn is changing," says Open University vice-chancellor, Martin Bean.

The Open University, once parodied for its late-night television shows, is now pioneering the use of the internet to reach its students.
Chart toppers

It began putting material on Apple's iTunes U service in June 2008 - and in two years has had 20 million items downloaded.
"There is a real worldwide hunger for learning," he says.

Such iTunes downloads are now available from many leading universities - putting lectures and materials in reach of an online audience.
Oxford University last month announced that there had been more than three million downloads of its tracks on iTunes U.
The current top 10 includes Cambridge University's "The art of asking the right question" and Warwick University's "Sex in the Ancient World".

I still find it hard to believe that I could not convince Lotus that this project has potential. I have to assume it is a bit like GM.
At GM the mantra was "We can't make money from small cars".

At Lotus it was "We never make money from training". (Sadly Lotus don't make money period.)

Maybe it's time to change the mantra...

One million downloads at RM50 (10 Pounds) is RM50 million.
That sounds like a revenue stream to me.

The new management team are commited to turning a profit. This obviously has the potential to do so.
Thought I would add a positive review of the Satria.

Proton up for sale?

The Star in Malaysia has a story quoting Proton Chairman Dato Nadzmi as saying Proton is potentially up for sale.
I have spent several years plying my MUM project to several Lotus and Proton people...
All change!
Naza who are 35% owners of Lotus F1 team are potential buyers.At least they would benefit from the Race on Sunday sell on Monday phenomonem.

I found a BBC report on last weeks Royal Visit.
Enjoy...