Entrepreneurship Programs and the Modern University

Book excerpt: At IUs Kelley School of Business, we believe in the power of entrepreneurial thinking, with a relentless pursuit of excellence in the research and teaching of entrepreneurship and innovation across our entire campus. This book on academic entrepreneurship offers one of the most comprehensive approaches to understanding the framework and strategies for building effective entrepreneurship programs within universities today. I truly believe all universities, regardless of their current stage of development of their entrepreneurship programs, will materially benefit from the ideas in this book. Daniel C. Smith, former Dean, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University and current CEO, Indiana University Foundation, US I am a believer in the concept of the entrepreneurial university, and think our institutions of higher learning must learn to think and act in more entrepreneurial ways. The kind of entrepreneurial culture which this book champions can transform student lives, invigorate university campuses, and make a fundamental difference in our communities. Burns Hargis, President, Oklahoma State University, US After more than 30 years of impressive growth, what have we learned about building world-class entrepreneurship programs within universities? After tracing the evolution of entrepreneurship within institutions of higher learning, the authors explore the key elements that constitute a comprehensive entrepreneurship program. Best practices at leading universities and differing kinds of academic environments are highlighted. They examine multiple aspects of program management and infrastructure, including curriculum and degree program development, where entrepreneurship is administratively housed, how it is organized, and approaches to staffing and resource acquisition. The perspectives shared in the book enable university presidents, entrepreneurship students, provosts, deans, entrepreneurship program directors, faculty members, and others to better capitalize upon the empowering and transformative potential of entrepreneurship.