SCET has partnered with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Entrepreneurship Center to establish the ‘Entrepreneurship 4 All’ program in Saudi Arabia. The program, also known as ‘E4A’, is designed to provide the KAUST community – graduate students, employees, researchers, and postdocs – with a broad introduction to entrepreneurship with a particular emphasis on inspiring them to develop and harness an entrepreneurial mindset. E4A’s mission is to inspire KAUST students to become entrepreneurial leaders who will someday start and lead technology companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The program initially started in January 2020 as a partnership between UC Berkeley and KAUST’s entrepreneurship centers. Dr. Kevin Cullen, Vice President of KAUST Innovation, mentions, “Our partnership with UC Berkeley has been hugely positive and critical to the success of Entrepreneurship 4 All since it launched at KAUST in January 2020. Working together as leading global universities has helped us in engaging students in Innovation and achieving our goal of making entrepreneurship education a central part of the University’s curriculum.” The success of this program since then has paved the way for a long-term partnership between the two university entrepreneurship centers to continue introducing hundreds of students to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.
What is the ‘Entrepreneurship 4 All’ Program About?
During the course, KAUST students gain deep insights into their personal strengths and learn skills to help them better self-organize and build entrepreneurial traits and habits. Through an interactive approach including exercises, activities, and projects, students learn about key topics in entrepreneurship such as design thinking, opportunity identification and leading effective teams. Classroom instructions and workshops are designed to inspire them and help them reach their potential and individual entrepreneurial vision.
When asked about the E4A courses, KAUST Entrepreneurship Director, Hattan Ahmed says, “The skills that students develop learning about an entrepreneurial mindset will help their development and career trajectory, no matter their path. This is a core belief of the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center and this program has received overwhelmingly positive testimonials from graduates in helping them achieve their goals.”
The ‘Entrepreneurship 4 All’ program strongly aligns with KAUST’s mission to use “science and technology, and innovation and enterprise [as] a catalyst for transforming people’s lives.” The course thus acts as a medium to train students in the art of entrepreneurship and technology commercialization.
About UC Berkeley SCET
The Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology is a global innovation hub headquartered at UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering, where aspiring entrepreneurs take deep dives into the world of technology entrepreneurship and embark on the path to developing exciting new ventures. The Center researches emerging technologies in its labs and offers a suite of courses and programs for students, executives, and global innovators. The Center has labs focused on innovation in data science, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and meat alternatives. Additionally, academics from around the world visit the Center to learn about the Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship, a unique innovation pedagogy that focuses on mindset training for innovators and entrepreneurs. UC Berkeley is the world’s #1 public university and ranks as the #2 university across the globe for startups and entrepreneurs, according to Pitchbook. UC Berkeley has been at the forefront of innovation in emerging technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence.
About the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center
The KAUST Entrepreneurship Center supports innovators from across the Kingdom by providing the training, space, and leadership to make entrepreneurship happen.
At the Center, we foster a connected community of innovators by providing hands-on training and funding support for emerging ideas. We help KAUST scientists and students turn their research into real impact and inspire innovators from around Saudi Arabia to create companies that can change the world. Click here to learn more!