Entrepreneurship, innovation, commercialization education

Frans A. van der HoornAssociate Dean (Graduate Science Education)

Some observations

80% of doctoral students will not have an academic career

(in other words: are we providing them with the education required for a successful career?)

– “too many Ph.D.'s competing for too few teaching and research jobs in academe. Despite that troubling trend, graduate schools across the United States continue to try to increase enrollments of science students,…. .” AA Shea, Chronicle of Higher Education, 2013.

Some observations

Should the 20% of doctoral students with an academic career not have an education that also includes

– project management– basic understanding of corporate culture– ability to converse at a reasonable level with industry– ability to see commercial/translation potential in own research

outcomes/projects– be able to appreciate and advice ones own students for all kinds of

careers

Some observations

Basic understanding of business is not only for students in the Sciences & Engineering. An artist is also an entrepreneur

“it seems clear that our liberal-arts and social science majors are missing out on something vital to their futures: Business 101…..We need new classes tailored to areas of the liberal arts: say, "Business Basics for the Social Sciences.“M Ragas, Chronicle of Higher Education, 2013.

Some observations

Business is a global activity

– are our students made sufficiently aware of and engage in global opportunities

– integrate entrepreneurship education with goals and strategies defined in the UC Internationalization Strategy

Some observations

We are late in the game, but not too late.

– “Beyond student demand for entrepreneurship training, worries about the weak job market are driving colleges' response. Teaching students to start their own businesses is one way to give them a leg up after graduation……The university (of Miami) wants to make sure that any student, in any field, sees entrepreneurship as a viable career path….. At the same time, it wants to ensure that if students and alumni start ventures, they do so in South Florida.”B Supiano, Chronicle of Higher Education, 2012.

educational programming

“Let’s make entrepreneurial studies part of the PhD’s professional training”R Price, BioBusiness Magazine, 2012

“…encourage university students to acquire industry understanding and work experience during the studentship years.”S Cohn, “Effective Commercialization of Innovations” 2011 Study

Specific programs: Master of Biomedical Technology (internship)MBA/PhD, MBA/MSc (integrated)

issues

- course load for students: potential increase - Haskayne courses are expensive - the need for supervisor’s support (time off from lab/project) - what level of knowledge/experience is required for success- expertise: teachers on campus and from the community - metrics for impact and success of the various educational offerings (other than eventual job placement): inform ongoing optimization of offerings