IISE is currently working on the Diplomacy Lab Project, in partnership with the US Department of State. The Diplomacy Lab project is a public-private partnership, launched in 2013, that enables the State Department to “course-source” research related to foreign policy challenges by harnessing the efforts of students and faculty experts at colleges and universities across the United States. The participating US institutions conduct studies or research around numerous topics in many areas that are presented to them by the Department, including higher education capacity development, human rights, global health, agriculture, and women empowerment, among others.
The current project connects IISE with public universities in Greece, to share research and ideas on university entrepreneurship efforts. The title of the project is From Research to Revenue: US Best Practices in Connecting Educational Institutions with the Market, which is tied to recent funding problems in Greece that have led public universities to develop alternative funding streams that support both students and research. University of Pittsburgh is a perfect fit as an example of a public university with strong private partnerships that employ aspects of Generational Succession, Decentralization and Interdependence within its entrepreneurial pusuits.
One of deliverable tasks of the Diplomacy Lab is the creation of an e-library. Early this month, on December 9, the IISE team was able to present the e-library content for rectors of public universities in Greece, in a workshop event hosted by the US Embassy in Greece. The e-library consists of links annotated links that describe innovation and entrepreneurial efforts at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt), Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and their interactions with the Pittsburgh region. It resembles a repository of online references on best practices by public (and private) universities in generating revenues and sustainable partnership, based on Pitt and CMU experiences. Both Pitt and CMU have a broad repertoire of world-class research in health, robotics, artificial intelligence, etc. Their entrepreneurial efforts have led to job opportunities for students, and research opportunities for faculty. Both institutions also contributed to the Pittsburgh city’s revitalization efforts after the collapse of its steel industry in the mid-1980s.
IISE intends to expand the conversation on this topic to evolve into a small, multi-disciplinary research working group. IISE has a rich, interdisciplinary community of experts to draw on, including economics/management of education faculty, senior university administrators, and students. Interested students and faculty are invited to join the research working group, where they could receive credits for supervised research and internships in a graduate seminar type of setting.
Learn more about