New design toilet flush

Today's paper had a newspost about a 8th std girl from a mofussil town,designing a toilet flush for trains.It was prominently featured in The Hindu.It seems she has received some recognition and prices too for similar design innovations.The chief guest who came for the school function has directed the Railways management to have a look at this idea.It is a simple idea no doubt,which makes the driver pull a lever when approaching a station,so that the toilet waste does not fall on the tracks till the time the train is in the vicinity of the station.Of course further innovations and improvements can be thought of.But that a school girl thinks of these things is the important point.
It led me thinking;More and more the academic institutions can really plough their ideas to help the industry/gov.They are all the time busy with facing competion,make the cash registers ring, and keeping their head above the waters, that original thought/research passes them by.( I would add, trying to kill any new idea if it comes from your colleague,is to establish a one upmanship and dog eats dog world of industry)
In the US such a synergy appears to be existing but at the higher education level.It enriches both the institutions.It is like the quality of mercy,blesseth him that gives and him that takes!
Another issue here is newspapers are also interested in attracting young readers(the new market and growing one),so they want to highlight their achievements.With WTO in education sector, schools want to differentiate from other schools and this healthy trend is catching up very fast.I welcome this trend!