“Bioneering” – teaching biotechnology entrepreneurship at the undergraduate level

Abstract

Purpose -The authors have developed an educational model that operates at the undergraduate level and aims to produce graduates who can comfortably operate in the gulf between the laboratory bench and the commercial marketplace. The purpose of the paper is to describe the course, approaches, activities and initial outcomes of the Bachelor of Biotechnology Innovation course at Queensland University of Technology. Design/methodology/approach -Students undertake "hard science" subjects and business subjects on entrepreneurship, innovation and market development. Synthesis of these disparate disciplines is driven through formation of virtual companies that serve to contextualize subject content and provide start-up company experience across the four-year course. Student companies design biotechnology products and processes and can progress their product through initial research and development phases or undertake an industry-based internship working as a team on initial concept projects. This focused, team-based approach to learning is contrary to traditional science courses that focus on the individual. Findings -Outcomes include graduates of high quality that have moved into positions associated with commercialization and technology transfer where previously a PhD and MBA were required qualifications. Other measures of course success include acceptance and promotion of the new course by business, academia and government. Originality/value -Postgraduate courses provide the most common pathway for assisted self-development of entrepreneurial skills in science and engineering graduates. In contrast, this model aims to train entrepreneurs in technological disciplines at an undergraduate level in a framework where innovation and enterprising behaviour are embedded in the fabric of the degree.

Sikap Wirausaha Mahasiswa pada Perkuliahan Bioteknologi Bermuatan Bioenterpreneurship

“…Kewirausahaan dapat dikembangkan salah satunya melalui penciptaan produkproduk biologi pada mata kuliah yang bersifat aplikatif seperti Bioteknologi (Collet & Wyatt, 2005). Menurut Acquaah (2004) (Langer, 2014).…”

Ecological Literacy Leadership: Into the Mind of Nature

“…Calls to develop a true “sustainability science” identify a critical need for integrating system theory and practice, from both human (Walker 2006, Ryn and Cowan 2007) and natural (Ausubel and Harpignies 2004 a , b , Collet and Wyatt 2005) perspectives, together with retrospective and anticipatory perspectives (Poli 2010 a , b , Miller et al 2013). Prominent organizations have recognized the importance of integrating research and education across disciplines and with society (Klemow 1991, Lubchenco et al 1991, Mooney et al 1995, Berkowitz, Archie, and Simmons 1997, Lubchenco 1998, Education and Human Resources Committee 2010, AASHE 2011, Chapin et al 2011).…”

“…There appears to be a new enthusiasm among both educators and students for reforming ecological education toward such innovative learning models (Klemow 1991, Orr 1991, Banathy 1992, Blair and Caine 1995, Crowell 1995, Cutter‐Mackenzie and Smith 2003, Collet and Wyatt 2005, Stone and Barlow 2005, Education and Human Resources Committee 2010, Palmer, Zajonc and Scribner 2010, Tippins 2010, Saylan and Blumstein 2011). These proponents believe that through more holistic education a better vision of the future can be realized in more ecologically sustainable and anticipatory contexts.…”

Hypothetical biotechnology companies: A role‐playing student centered activity for undergraduate science students

“…Several course based models have been put forward to achieve these aims. This has included graduate schools focusing on the life science industry and 4 year undergraduate degrees whereby students complete business and science subjects and integrate this knowledge through virtual biotechnology companies [5, 8]. These all have limitations, for example, it has been argued that some postgraduate business training is slow to react to the current needs of the industry while recruiting students into courses requiring extra workload or lateral thinking early in tertiary education may affect student retention in the course [8].…”

“…While it was impossible to achieve the same outcomes of these courses within a single subject in a 3 year biological science undergraduate degree, a need existed to expose graduates to the skills/issues of importance to the biotechnology sector. Unlike the 4 year business/science degree programs, the subject was designed for students to explore this vocation without a significant commitment within their science degree [8]. While there are other examples of attempts to include business studies with science these programs were based on a single discipline or topic area [9, 10].…”