Supporting innovation and entrepreneurship
A welcome for the July 2020 alumni newsletter from Professor Ian Williamson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Wellington School of Business and Government.
In today’s environment, more so than ever, it is crucial that graduates have the ability to develop innovative solutions to intractable problems. It is also key they approach their work with an entrepreneurial mindset.
This is especially true in our post COVID-19 world where innovation and entrepreneurship are key to our nation’s resilience.
At the Wellington School of Business and Government one of our strategic goals is to support innovation and entrepreneurship in New Zealand. We do this by offering opportunities for our students to learn and grow in these areas, but also by working with organisations that can benefit from our expertise.
It is our desire to see all students, not just those pursuing a commerce degree, develop these skills which is why we are excited to be offering a new minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from 2021. Through the minor, which can be taken as part of any undergraduate degree at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, students learn how to develop their ideas into products, services, ventures, ideas or solutions that may help change the way we work, think and live.
In support of our academic offerings, last year we launched The Atom—Te Kahu o Te Ao Innovation Space. The purpose of The Atom is twofold—it provides a co-working space for our student entrepreneurs to get their businesses off the ground, but also serves as a place for us to work with stakeholders in our community who are also seeking to support the growth of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Wellington region and beyond.
One of these stakeholders is the Greater Wellington Regional Council who we are supporting to develop a Māori Economic Strategy for the Wellington region. This is an exciting project providing a point of co-ordination for the already significant economic activity underway in the regional Māori economy, and an opportunity to develop new ideas and collaborations.
We’re also working with a range of other individuals and organisations who have joined us as Entrepreneurial Ambassadors and Community Partners to promote entrepreneurship for the greater good through a range of channels, including NZ Entrepreneur.
Our goal is to see Wellington’s, and New Zealand’s, reputation for innovation and entrepreneurship grow and flourish in new ways. There is a well of untapped potential in our nation and it is our aim to ensure this potential is realised.
If you’d like to support us in this, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Ngā mihi,
Ian