The Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MEI) was the first such program in the world and was accredited by Swinburne University in the late 1980s. The MEI has gone through several iterations since and is the current flagship program of Swinburne University of Technology’s Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship (AGSE), Australia’s first dedicated entrepreneurship school.
The MEI is delivered in collaboration with the International Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) at Pitcher Partners, an accounting, audit and advisory firm with a focus on the middle market.
The MEI is a multidisciplinary program which is closely aligned with Rouse in Neck et al. (2004,) practice theory stating that “Entrepreneurship education, through a practice-based approach, becomes a community of learning that is student-centred.” which supports our co-creation activities in entrepreneurship across disciplines. Rather than focus wholly on business plans and start-ups we emphasize the fundamental insight of ‘entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial mindset’ based on four dimensions of entrepreneurial leadership, decision-making, behaviour, and self-awareness.
The key feature of the MEI is the is the co-creation and teaching of the MEI. In application, a firm Partner collaborates with the convenor of each MEI unit to ensure that the content reflects market insights, trends and innovations with respect to unit content. Firm partners also approach clients to identify relevant use cases and lessons learned, and secure guest speakers and project mentors. This unique model ensures relevance, currency and the contemporary nature of the MEI program.
The Individual Presentation will expand upon the MEI co-creation and co-delivery model, outlining how it contributes to students gaining the best of both worlds with industry practitioners teaching alongside Swinburne academics. The presenters will explain how this practical application provides the ultimate innovative learning experience for students in terms of relevance and professional exposure to a wide network of capabilities.