Top entrepreneurship course to spur home-grown technology companies

The course aims to transform Qatar's deep investment in research and education into business success stories. The nine-month, part-time program will teach aspiring managers and executives how to build technology-based business, either within their existing companies or by starting a new enterprise. Enrolment is open now, and the inaugural class starts in September.

The Executive Entrepreneurship Certificate Program is run by Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business and its Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship. The center, recognized as one of the best in the world, has taught thousands of people to create new businesses, including the founder of iGate Corporation, a global IT company with nearly $400 million market capitalization. For the first time the program is available to executives in the Middle East.

The program is designed for companies seeking to create new revenue streams and for entrepreneurs aiming to start their own business. It teaches skills and methods for creating technology-based ventures through practical, real-world projects. Applicants need to be located in Doha in order to attend the classes, which are scheduled outside of business hours. A university degree is preferred but not mandatory, and the course is conducted in English.

"Entrepreneurial spirit and know-how are essential for building a dynamic knowledge economy", said Dr. Eulian Roberts, QSTP's Chief Executive. "We have identified one of the best entrepreneurship programs from around the world to establish its activities in Doha. Carnegie Mellon's course provides exactly the right set of skills, and will be tailored to the unique Middle Eastern business environment. We warmly encourage individuals and executives in Qatar and around the region to come and share the passion of creating new technology business."

"Our university has deep experience in the theory and practice of creating new enterprises, particularly in the technology sphere," added Mohammed Dobashi, chief operating officer of Carnegie Mellon Qatar. "When our dean, Chuck Thorpe, was a student at Carnegie Mellon, the man who went on to start Lycos was in the class below him. It's this kind of real-world, 'been there' experience that we're looking forward to sharing with Qatar, and to start building the Lycoses of tomorrow right here."

"Instructors in this new Executive Entrepreneurship Certificate Program have vast experience in creating companies and launching new areas of innovation within existing companies," said Arthur A. Boni, John R. Thorne director of the Donald H. Jones Center. "Entrepreneurship can be taught, but effective teaching requires a blend of experiential learning coupled with academic rigor. This approach, pursued for many years at Carnegie Mellon, has resulted in a culture of creation and innovation that enables the successful entrepreneurial culture to be developed in leaders. Beyond that, it is also necessary to support successful entrepreneurs as part of a network of innovation. We look forward to working with QSTP to create a culture conducive to technological innovation in Qatar."