Intel jump starts technology entrepreneurship program in the region

The programme, which commenced in Egypt on 6 June at the American University of Cairo and moves to Turkey on 9 June, is another milestone for Intel's Higher Education initiative.

Developed by the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley, the Intel Technology Entrepreneurship Programme includes curriculum, model business plan competitions, in-classroom exercises and other tools that university professors can use to educate technical graduates on the basics of entrepreneurship, seeking to create truly innovative business people with cross-disciplinary skills, technical expertise and the ability to seize market opportunities.

This programme is best implemented by combining university curriculum and hands on expertise provided by entrepreneurs local to the university.

'The 'Technology Entrepreneurship - Theory to Practice' seminars are designed to foster technological innovation across the Middle East,' said Bassem Nasir, Intel Higher Education Manager, Middle East, Turkey and Africa.

'Operated in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley, these seminars represent the first stage in a wider Intel programme, designed to encourage entrepreneurship, create additional jobs and promote essential support services.'

Each two-day Intel Technology Entrepreneurship seminar aims to inspire and train academic staff from technology-oriented faculties about how to better equip students with entrepreneurial skills, by integrating the topic into their own programmes. Key topics covered will include 'building a curriculum' and 'creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem'.

'Entrepreneurship is part of Intel Digital Transformation Initiative launched last year and is a key driver for emerging Middle East economies and as the region begins to compete on a global basis, these skills coupled with technological expertise will enable a new level of entrepreneurs to develop businesses to compete in local, regional and international markets. We will be announcing the details of an Intel supported regional student science and technology business plan that will take be implemented across the region,' added Nasir.

'The key to the technological development is the presence of professors in the higher education system who are capable of integrating today's technical achievements into their curricula,' said Nasir. 'Berkeley professors give lectures to professors on how to teach and develop entrepreneurship skills effectively in their universities.'

'It is very important that educators shift their focus to promoting an entrepreneurial culture. Today, by and large, many educational systems are geared toward creating employees, not entrepreneurs. To change this dynamic, the core curriculum at universities should add basic instruction in what it takes to start and operate a company, including training in formulating a strategy, writing a business plan, marketing, finance and raising capital.'

Intel's Higher Education Program focuses on advancing innovation in key areas of technology, as well as developing a pipeline of world-class technical talent for Intel's future workforce and the global knowledge-based economy. In 2004 alone, Intel funded 456 individual research grants and sponsored 212 scholarships/fellowships. This support for higher education curricula and research currently extends to more than 110 universities in more than 30 countries worldwide.