ANNOUNCEMENT: "Sharing Experience from Entrepreneurship PhD ProgramsAround the World"

[entrepreneurship-phd at lists.uni-due.de]

From: Isabell Welpe [mailto:isabell.welpe at t-online.de] 
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2006 01:13

ANNOUNCEMENT: Professional Development Workshop "Sharing Experience from
Entrepreneurship PhD Programs Around the World"
on SATURDAY, Aug 12 2006 from 4:00PM -5:30PM - ATLANTA MARRIOTT MARQUIS,
Cluster 2 - Magnolia - Convention Level.
(The session can also be found here:
http://program.aomonline.org/2006/submission.asp?mode=ShowSession&SessionID=
435)

A pre-conference workshop presented by the International Committee of the
Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management.
Atlanta 11-16 August 2006.

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

- Candida G. Brush (Babson College, Director of the Babson PhD Program in
Entrepreneurship)
- Per Davidsson (Queensland University of Technology & Jönköping
International Business School)
- Julio de Castro (Instituto de Empresa Business School & The Ibero-American
Academy of Management)
- Heinz Klandt (European Business School & KfW-Endowed Chair for
Entrepreneurship)

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

The trend of providing entrepreneurship education across both undergraduate
and graduate programs is likely to persist as entrepreneurship conversations
steadily permeate public policy agenda worldwide. Unfortunately, the
shortage of entrepreneurship faculty still represents a sizeable bottleneck
in this process. As a result, there is a growing recognition among academic
institutions of the need to train such faculty through PhD programs
specialized in entrepreneurship. Such programs are indeed beginning to
emerge, across both different schools and countries. By offering them,
management schools have the opportunity to increase their intellectual
outreach and global recognition.
Despite the potential attractiveness of such programs, their launch and
sustenance is not a trivial task. As the experience of many prestigious
schools (e.g. London Business School, Instituto de Empresa, and Jönköping
International Business School) shows, the issues of legitimacy and resource
constraints are not spared. With this in mind, given that there are numerous
schools worldwide that are on the verge or in the process of launching their
own Entrepreneurship PhD program, it is vitally important to reflect upon
and learn from the experience of the trailblazers.  The purpose of this PDW
is to provide a forum where such experience can be shared and discussed.
People involved or experienced with developing, launching, and managing such
programs will generously impart to the audience about their take out of the
process, wise decisions as well as specific examples of pitfalls.
Each presenter will contribute with his/her thoughts on the key strategic
issues associated with launching a PhD program, such as attracting
sufficient professors with PhDs in management and entrepreneurship to
provide the intellectual content of the program, overcoming the legitimacy
hurdle for entrepreneurship as a discipline, particularly in broader
management departments, raising financial means for sustaining the programs;
a need for long-term focus as the programs cost a lot to maintain, without
any immediate payoffs. The International Committee of Entrepreneurship
division also seeks guidance from audience for initiatives to undertake in
future years.

TOPICS ADDRESSED:

-What are the main legitimacy barriers for Entrepreneurship PhD programs?
How can the legitimacy hurdle for entrepreneurship as a discipline,
particularly in broader management departments be overcome?
-How does one attract sufficient professors with PhDs in management and
entrepreneurship to provide the intellectual content of the program?
-What has been most helpful in overcoming resource constraints? What was the
strategy of your program for raising financial means for sustaining it?
-What are the main lessons/biggest mistakes in establishing the PhD
entrepreneurship program at your school?
-What will be vital for the future success of these programs?
-What is the prior training needed of PhD students to successfully attend an
Entrepreneurship concentration?
- What courses should be offered in the first year of an entrepreneurship
PhD program?
-What is the role of international research programs in supporting PhD
programs in entrepreneurship? What are the main lessons/dangers to be
avoided in involving PhD students in international research programs on
entrepreneurship?

For more information contact:
Isabell Welpe, Munich School of Management, Germany
welpe at lmu.de