WashU Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation & Entrepreneurship’s Post

Eighteen George Mason University programs are ranked the best in Virginia in a new report by EduRank that focuses on performance in research. Topping the list is Mason’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, which for the second consecutive year was ranked No. 1 among all public institutions and No. 2 among all institutions nationally. That research is supported by entities such as the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact, which has overall responsibility for Mason’s research enterprise and support of entrepreneurship and innovation. Additionally George Mason University – Costello College of Business and Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship George Mason University lets students dig into entrepreneurship, from the theoretical to the experimental. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eaUnZ5uv #MasonNation #GeorgeMasonU #CostelloMeansBusiness #Research #Entrepreneurship

“Universities need to prioritise the entrepreneurial mindset, not just new ideas” Rod B. McNaughton The Conversation Australia + NZ Do universities need to be more entrepreneurial? According to UQ Business School "Innovation is the way to transform a good idea into a great reality" - which is only possible by “..being entrepreneurial”. "Universities have been slow to prioritise developing an entrepreneurial mindset among students and staff." "Innovation without entrepreneurship is like building a bridge halfway. You may have a brilliant idea, but it is unlikely to make a meaningful impact without the skills to bring it to reality. Entrepreneurship transforms creative ideas into valuable, tangible outcomes." "Entrepreneurship demands the skills to manage people and resources, assess viability, identify pathways to adoption, and understand the environment while being comfortable with uncertainty and resilient in the face of failure and change." "The entrepreneurial process can be especially helpful for researchers and PhD students who have spent years developing an idea but not a way to get it into the real world" So how best to develop an entrepreneurial mindset within universities? Is it even possible? Jason Clare MP Sarah Henderson Ed Husic MP Natalie Hutchins MP Ben Carroll Professor Aleks Subic Peter Roberts Kate Cornick Larry Marshall Vicki Thomson Chad Renando Murray Hurps Stuart Smith Phd, MScTony Peacock Vanessa Campbell Cori Stewart Corrie McLeod Rowena Barrett Graham Fellows Wayne Gerard David Swan Paul Smith The Conversation UK The Conversation US #entrepreneurship #innovation #research #highereducation #tertiaryeducation #universities #researchanddevelopment

🚩 This discussion appraises the wider question - what is the purpose of higher education and knowledge creation? 🗣 Rod McNaughton writes in The Conversation that developing an entrepreneurial mindset is key to creating lasting impact. ➡ Universities have been slow to prioritise developing an entrepreneurial mindset among students and staff ➡ Innovation without entrepreneurship is like building a bridge halfway. You may have a brilliant idea, but it is unlikely to make a meaningful impact without the skills to bring it to reality. Entrepreneurship transforms creative ideas into valuable, tangible outcomes. ➡ But there are challenges. “Innovation” is more palatable to some academics, especially those who equate entrepreneurship with commercialism. To overcome this, it’s crucial to recognise that entrepreneurial skills are valuable across most endeavours. ➡ To truly contribute to solving societal problems and prepare their students to make a difference, universities must do more than foster innovation. They must prioritise and develop an entrepreneurial mindset and competencies among students and staff, enabling them to execute, adapt and create lasting impact. ❓ Begs the question about entrepreneurship that is focused on the common good, versus entrepreneurship firmly focused on value-creation by and for the individual or firm, i.e. profit. 💡 I suspect more of the former is needed, but this arguably one-sided discourse risks leading to more of the latter, and largely serving hardwired neoliberal mindsets. Social entrepreneurship might just be the equilibrium needed to provide long-lasting societal impact.

I got to chat with two leaders from Indiana University Bloomington and the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship who are leading the charge in regional economic development by investing in valuable resources for student entrepreneurs. In a recent webinar, Julie Heath and Cameron R. Law shared their insights on how universities can offer a unique platform for long-term ecosystem building. 🏫 As Julie pointed out, “If you are developing a new material or method for solving a complex problem, to go from hunch to first customer might take 10 or 11 years. A university is one of the few organizations that can operate on that extended timeline and play the long game.” Building bridges between university resources and external entities can enhance the flow of knowledge, funding, and support, which all adds up to a more cohesive and effective ecosystem. But the real magic? It’s found through storytelling. By communicating success stories and showcasing data-driven impacts, we can inspire stakeholders - from entrepreneurs to policymakers - to rally behind ecosystem building. Check out my recap here: #EcosystemIntelligence #Entrepreneurship #EconomicDevelopment #Students 

🎓 Why Innovation Alone Isn’t Enough: The Missing Ingredient in Higher Education 🎓 Many universities proudly tout their commitment to "innovation," but how many are truly equipping students and staff to turn those ideas into action? In my latest article for The Conversation, I argue that while innovation is critical, it's only half the story. The missing piece? An entrepreneurial mindset—the skills to navigate real-world challenges, manage resources, and bring ideas to life. Programs like the ones at the University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship are already bridging this gap, but much more needs to be done. #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #HigherEducation #UniversityOfAuckland #CIE #FutureOfEducation

The challenges (combined with the opportunities) of creating a new and bold thinking in "not-for-profit" as well as "private" Indian academic institutions. The recent step taken by the University of Wisconsin, Medison, USA is a bold step taken; challenging all of us for a deep dive in! The detailed information could be seen at this site:  https://lnkd.in/g2EeEqdn ------------- Directly taken from this article - "The University of Wisconsin–Madison is positioning itself to strengthen entrepreneurial pathways, experiences and outcomes, drawing on the findings and recommendations of a study commissioned by Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin. The comprehensive plan outlined in the study aims to create a thriving entrepreneurial environment, leveraging the university’s existing strengths and capabilities along with its ongoing commitment to fostering entrepreneurship across campus. Mnookin has made entrepreneurship a key priority for the university. In 2023, she charged the working group, comprised of entrepreneurial and innovation leaders from campus and industry, with reviewing current practices and making recommendations. “UW already is a thriving hub of innovation and entrepreneurial excellence, and we have an opportunity to make it even stronger,” Mnookin says. “This report, and its recommendations, provide a roadmap not just to unify our existing programs, but to chart a new direction to further empower our entrepreneurial community to lead in ways that truly differentiate us on a national and global scale.” Titled ‘Empowering the Wisconsin Idea: The Future of Entrepreneurship at the University of Wisconsin–Madison,’ the report delineates recommendations in four key areas: - Commit to excellence in entrepreneurship - Establish campus leadership and structure to bolster entrepreneurship - Create a culture to promote and celebrate entrepreneurship - Expand access to capital ------------- Looking at the progress made in Indian Academic Institutions over the past 1-2 decades at least, we have come a long way; but, a lot more, aggressive and forward looking strategies are very much required. Mainly to ensure that we start aiming for our young companies / biotechs (coming-out from our academic instituions) that could dream big and aim for making a visible, lasting impact in the international arena! In addition to numerous challenges to build this path, one of the serious cornerstones in this business is an access to " large scale, deep knowledge-based funds with the free hand capacity (largely from private sources) to allow creating an ecosystem that would be prepared, (i) to take risks, (ii) not afraid of failures, and with (iii) a good reward to our early success stories. A lot could be achieved if our institutions are genuinely committed to making this happen; eventually, they could be proud of their spin-outs that could stand tall, emerge winners, and compete in the real business market.  

Rich Lyons, the university’s new chancellor, and former chief innovation and entrepreneurship officer, spoke to the Sutardja Center about the future of innovation and entrepreneurship at Berkeley! Read the Q&A: bit.ly/4fDuWB0

“Fewer universities embrace entrepreneurship in the same way as they champion innovation, despite it being the critical bridge between innovation and real-world impact.” – Rod McNaughton, Professor of Entrepreneurship. Programmes such as the ones run by the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) are teaching how to identify opportunities and navigate constraints through mentoring, workshops and hands-on projects. While similar programmes exist at other universities, much more needs to be done to scale up the development of entrepreneurial skills within universities, argues Professor McNaughton. Find out why understanding the distinction between innovation and entrepreneurship is critical:

The PitchBook ranking of top universities in the world based on startup founders is out! McGill is #23 overall and #2 in Canada! Just one more sign of the incredible entrepreneurship activity that has been going on at McGill and that is only growing! https://lnkd.in/gEvtTrbP

-While innovation can happen in isolation, entrepreneurship needs community, collaboration, feedback and constant adaptation. -Entrepreneurial skills are valuable for students at all levels and any discipline. But the entrepreneurial process can be especially helpful for researchers and PhD students who have spent years developing an idea but not a way to get it into the real world. -Innovation without entrepreneurship is like building a bridge halfway.