A new initiative at The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus is aiming to bridge the hole between science and entrepreneurship, giving college students the sensible expertise wanted to show revolutionary concepts into viable companies.
SciMix: From Idea to Innovation, a networking occasion held on Saturday on the campus introduced collectively trade professionals and college students beneath the theme “Exploring the Intersections within Science in Barbados and the Ways Forward for Further National Development”.
The occasion marked the end result of FSAT2002: Science Meets Business, a pilot course created by way of a collaboration between the Faculty of Science and Technology and Future BARBADOS. The programme concerned a multidisciplinary group of 15 science college students working collectively to develop business-minded approaches to science and innovation.
Speaking on the sidelines of the occasion, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology Dr Jeanese Badenock stated the course was designed to align science college students extra intently with entrepreneurship.
“This particular course was developed in an attempt to bring our science students into closer alignment with being entrepreneurs,” she stated, noting that Future BARBADOS partnered all through the 12-week programme to ship workshops and mentorship alternatives.
Badenock defined that college students have been uncovered to key points of enterprise improvement, together with finance, enterprise capital, pitching concepts and making ready enterprise plans. Members of the Caribbean diaspora additionally participated just about, sharing experience on find out how to develop science-based merchandise and providers and convey them to market.
She stated college students have been required to work in groups “as an analogy to a typical business”, taking accountability for areas similar to finance, advertising and marketing and sponsorship whereas organising Saturday’s occasion as their last graded venture.
Beyond entrepreneurship, Badenock stated the course centered closely on growing transferable gentle expertise.
“What they got out of the course was really honing in on those soft skills in terms of communication,” she stated. “It was working as part of a team, understanding the different dynamics that are necessary in order to execute successfully an event.”
She added that college students gained expertise in areas starting from sponsorship negotiations to visitor relations and occasion coordination, expertise she believes will assist them navigate future skilled environments, whether or not in science or different fields.