María Messina Scolaro is a Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Administration and Coordinator of the Entrepreneurship Network of the University of the Republic. She is also co-author of Prácticas de emprendedorismo en las universidades latinoamericanas: Asociación Universidades Grupo Montevideo.
This translation has been automatically generated and has not been verified for accuracy.
Asking ourselves about the role of the university in entrepreneurial activity is becoming increasingly important. We have to go back several decades to identify the beginning of the attention given to entrepreneurial activity in the economic, political and academic spheres. But the importance given to entrepreneurship, as with other [...]
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Translation:
Interesting. Although I have several comments. The role of universities was related to the expectations that Latin American societies expected from higher education: professionals for the state or the liberal exercise; that gave prestige, autonomy and built a necessary modern urban middle class in our lands. But the economic dimension, in terms of trade and industry, is a little understood by a large part of the population that judged that this segment of the population simply makes money ... and it does not seem that there was any specific training for it.But if we want to link university and industry, not only the first must change but the second. There is no use of many classes/postgraduate of entrepreneurship/innovation if there is no interest in innovation on the industrial side. Our early Venezuelan scientists realized that, they created offers but there was no answer from the other side. That the professors/researchers are not duchos/skilled or have no skills for the tasks of linking, is true; but neither do the leaders of the companies that do not understand the role of knowledge in the productive processes of their enterprises. From there the university offices of liaison and related ones are necessary, but the first thing they would have to do is involve the teachers interested in the entrepreneurship/innovation. So far, the ones I know are only bureaucratic units.
But lately changes have begun, I must acknowledge it; it is beginning to change side and side; the need has forced each side to do so; although for different reasons.
Universities in the search for alternative financing; or private companies (not included in the State) because if they want to continue in the market, they have to consider other aspects besides the profitability, the prices.
I hope that the University will change, especially in Venezuela, where a set of norms, regulations, poorly understood traditions conspire against the necessary university reform that we want Venezuela to finally enter into the 21st century.
Translation:
Excellent article. As a university professor and an enterprising entrepreneur, I have had to face this culture of cloister, of looking only inward, of allergy to everything that is related to the industry and technological applications of knowledge.