News Release

Asia's first Kauffman Campus to be set up at NTU

Nanyang Technological University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to set up Asia's first Kauffman Campus at NTU

Business Announcement

Nanyang Technological University

SINGAPORE: Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to set up Asia's first Kauffman Campus at NTU. The MOU will provide a framework for both institutes to advance entrepreneurship in Asia.

The scope of this MOU involves developing a one-stop centre for entrepreneurship support on the NTU campus. The partnership also includes student exchanges, educational programmes in entrepreneurship at NTU, and educational and research initiatives at NTU.

The MOU was signed on 18 December 2008 by NTU's President, Dr Su Guaning, and Dr Carl Schramm, President and CEO of Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

"Entrepreneurship is a key driver of economic and social development especially in difficult times as we have now. It is also one of the important factors in enhancing Singapore's global competitiveness. Having Asia's first Kauffman campus here in NTU enables us to leverage on Kauffman's expertise to enhance our campus-wide innovation and entrepreneurship culture. These will enhance the likelihood of economic payoffs from the nation's investments in high level research, and help produce prosperity for our people," says Dr Su.

While entrepreneurship programmes traditionally have been the domain of the business school, the Kauffman Foundation's Kauffman Campuses imitative aims to transform this culture and instil the spirit and skills of entrepreneurial studies into college life. To be appointed as a Kauffman Campus, the university must pledge to make entrepreneurship education a campus-wide opportunity, enabling any faculty and student, regardless of field of study, to access entrepreneurship training.

NTU is chosen as the Kauffman Campus for its exceptional entrepreneurship eco-system campus. One programme in place is NTU's Master of Science in Technopreneurship & Innovation Programme, which combines institutionalized learning with experiential learning, global immersion training and transformational experience. By using integrative analytical education tools and dynamic simulations programmes, participants will learn how to solve problems and make business decisions effectively.

"The Kauffman Foundation has spent significant time and resources over the past 15 years to develop, fund, and deliver entrepreneurship education programmes aimed at building entrepreneurial economies," said Dr Schramm. "We are proud to join in this partnership with NTU, which provides some of the best entrepreneurship programming in the world. Students engaged in educational programmes must think global from day one. Working with NTU, we will develop and disseminate the global practices and lessons that are critical for the success of entrepreneurs today."

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