Jan 2, 2007

A degree of Innovation

The Business Innovation Insider reports that academia is now looking to customize education for innovation, as compared to engineering, commerce or science.

The Bachelor of Innovation™ program is not a degree in innovation, it's actually a family of related majors (much like a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science) with a common core supporting a mix of degrees.

In my view, innovation is more a mindset and a process, rather than a profession or academic discipline. At the root of innovation is a contrary view point, which is inclusive. The ability to diverge in thought and then to converge on the goal that benefits people is the root of innovation.

Innovation should not be taught in undergraduate or post-graduate courses. It might be too late then.

Innovation needs to be taught at home and at schools. It is taught more by observation than by text books. An innovative viewpoint is fostered by parents and teachers, who encourage the often exasperating questions of a child :-) and can often be dampened by the pressure to fit in.

There is a (supposedly) Japanese saying that says "The nail that sticks out is hammered in"

Innovative people are people who have the courage to stick out and challenge the status quo.

2 comments:

  1. Innovation,Globalisation,Entrepreneurship... bored of reading these topics repeatedly... can we come out of these please :)

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  2. Innovation is something that comes to your mind first and no one knows about this and when you show others and they like it becomes an innovation.

    ReplyDelete