PFI: Creating Academic Community Partnerships: Fostering Innovation and Entretreneurship in a Liberal Arts Institution

创新伙伴关系（PFI）项目将支持学术界、政府和一个创业网络之间的伙伴关系，以开发一个示范项目，利用创造性的地方伙伴关系和新方法，鼓励文科院校的创新。伙伴关系内部的合作将利用合作伙伴的独特专业知识和能力来创建一个将刺激创新学习和知识流动的基础设施。该示范项目将包括一系列旨在教授和加强创新和创业概念的课程、活动和学术项目。这个模型项目有潜力表明，对文科学科的投资可能会提供以前没有实现的经济效益，因为文科教育的目标鼓励学生在创业过程中取得成功所需的行为；也就是说，分析和创造性地思考，并解决复杂的问题。作为企业基石的技术往往是文科系的产物。该项目是跨学科的，将涉及文科教育的哲学和创业的本质，从而使学生群体的多样性受益，包括代表性不足的群体。如果成功，该项目将为全国文理学院和大学培养创业精神提供一个模式。合作伙伴包括维克森林大学（牵头机构）；布布科克管理研究生院安吉尔创业中心（维克森林大学）；北卡罗来纳大学格林斯博罗分校；温斯顿-塞勒姆州立大学；设计创新中心，一个跨机构的研究中心；大温斯顿-塞勒姆商会；Idealliance是一个非营利性的教育社区，促进学术界、产业界和政府在新兴商业领域的合作；启始微天使基金；北卡罗来纳生物技术中心；北卡罗莱纳州小企业和技术发展中心；皮埃蒙特天使网络；以及皮埃蒙特三合会创业网络。

This Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) project will support a partnership between academia, government, and an entrepreneurial network to develop a model program for encouraging innovation in liberal arts institutions using creative local partnerships and new methodologies. The collaboration within the partnership will take advantage of the unique expertise and capabilities of the partners to create an infrastructure that will stimulate innovative learning and knowledge flow. Included in the model program will be a full spectrum of coursework, activities, and academic programs designed to teach and reinforce the concepts of innovation and entrepreneurship.This model program has the potential to show that investment in liberal arts disciplines might provide economic benefits not previously realized because the goals of a liberal arts education encourage students in the very behaviors required to be successful in the entrepreneurial process; namely, to think analytical and creatively and to solve complex problems. The technologies that are the building blocks for ventures are often the products of liberal arts departments. The program is interdisciplinary and will address both the philosophy of liberal arts education and the nature of entrepreneurship, thereby benefiting the full diversity of the student body including underrepresented groups. If successful, the program could provide a model for fostering entrepreneurship at liberal arts colleges and universities across the country. Partners include Wake Forest University (lead institution); Calloway School of Business and Accountancy (Wake Forest University; Angell Center for Entrepreneurship in the Babcock Graduate School of Management (Wake Forest University); University of North Carolina- Greensboro; Winston-Salem State University; Center for Design Innovation, an inter-institutional research center; Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce; Idealliance, a non-profit community of education promoting academic, industry, and government collaboration in emerging businesses; Inception Micro Angel Fund; North Carolina Biotechnology Center; North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center; Piedmont Angel Network; and Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurial Network.