Innovation and Entrepreneurship Committee

Purpose

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Committee (IEC) is dedicated to promoting an institutional culture of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. It empowers students, Faculty and staff to transform ideas into viable solutions, startups and social enterprises.

Key Responsibilities

1. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategies Development

• Develop and implement the university’s innovation and entrepreneurship strategies aligned with the institutional mission and strategic objectives.
• Advise senior leadership on innovation policy, technology transfer and ecosystem development.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators for innovation and entrepreneurship activities.
• Promote the integration of innovation across teaching, research and community engagement.

2. Entrepreneurship Education and Capacity Building

• Design and deliver programs, workshops and courses in entrepreneurship, business creation and innovation management.
• Support Faculty in embedding entrepreneurship into curricula across disciplines.
• Organize seminars, speaker series and competitions (e.g., Startup Weekends and Innovation Challenges).
• Foster a culture of problem-solving, creativity and intrapreneurship among students and staff.

3. Startup Development

• Establish and manage university startup incubation and acceleration programs.
• Provide mentoring, business development coaching and access to funding sources.
• Facilitate the commercialization of university research outputs and intellectual property.
• Support the creation of student and Faculty spin-offs and enterprises.

4. Innovation and Industry Collaboration

• Build partnerships with the private sector, the government, NGOs and international innovation hubs.
• Coordinate joint projects for technology transfer, innovation challenges and product development.
• Strengthen the university’s participation in national innovation and entrepreneurship networks.
• Collaborate with the International Ranking & Sustainability Committee to promote innovation in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

5. Research and Knowledge Transfer

• Support applied research commercialization and patent management.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary research projects addressing real-world challenges.
• Maintain records of intellectual property, licensing agreements and startup outcomes.

6. Communication, Outreach, and Reporting

• Promote the university’s innovation ecosystem through media, events and partnerships.
• Prepare Innovation and Entrepreneurship Report summarizing outcomes and impact.
• Establish an online platform for innovation resources, startup directories and events calendars.