"The Innovation Academy: engaging doctoral students through active learning, participation and collaboration"

The Innovation Academy is the educational centrepiece of the TCD-UCD Innovation Alliance and is a collaborative educational venture between the universities and industry. The Academy is a high priority activity for both institutions. It is transforming the doctoral education experience by establishing innovation alongside research and education as an integral element of the PhD. The output will be a new breed of graduate, expert in their discipline, but with the creativity and entrepreneurial skills to convert knowledge, ideas and inventions into products, services and policies for economic and social benefit. Innovation is thus regarded in its broadest sense of exploiting new ideas in a competitive world; it is not restricted to science, engineering, technology and business, but encompasses creativity, leadership, cultural and policy innovation in arts and humanities. The Innovation Academy will enhance Ireland's reputation for PhD education, thus attracting high-quality international students. In the Academic Year 2010-2011, the Innovation Academy is offering the Graduate Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship to PhD students from across all domains within the two universities, including: life sciences; arts and Celtic studies; human sciences; business and law; engineering, mathematical and physical sciences. Such diversity in the student body sets this initiative apart as particularly innovative in its own right. The modules are designed to address the issues and problems that entrepreneurs and creative thinkers face in recognising, developing, and assessing innovative opportunities for commercial and/or social benefit. The modules are structured to encourage action, participation, discussion, analysis and reflection. Throughout students undertake a series of projects in small multi-disciplinary teams challenging them to address real challenges in practice and involving the conversion of ideas into value. See www.innovationacademy.ie