Educating Execs: American University of Sharjah, UAE "At AUS, entrepreneurship is interdisciplinary, where students with technical or managerial backgrounds learn about innovation and risk, feasibility and function, ownership and financing, and marketing and delivery."
By Aby Sam Thomas •
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"Our entrepreneurship curriculum teaches students and business executives the theory and concepts of entrepreneurship from the perspective of the practitioner," says Dr. Robert E. Grosse, Dean of the School of Business Administration (SBA) at the American University of Sharjah (AUS). "We teach the entrepreneurial process as a practicum in applied business research. At AUS, entrepreneurship is interdisciplinary, where students with technical or managerial backgrounds learn about innovation and risk, feasibility and function, ownership and financing, and marketing and delivery. We believe that in order to effectively adapt business practices to emerging conditions, such as the accelerating growth of technology, communications and the internationalization of the business world, a thorough grasp of current business and economic processes, theory and applications is essential."
Given that the majority of new job creation in the region is in SME development, the school's focus on entrepreneurship is especially opportune. "At AUS-SBA, we have in place a cohesive and comprehensive curriculum in entrepreneurship and family business management with correlative courses in marketing, finance, and operations which provide our graduates with a balanced and focused set of tools necessary to succeed in business," says Dr. Andrew Klein, Assistant Professor, Department of Management, SBA. "In addition to our curriculum and faculty, the SBA has a comprehensive career management function which includes internships, fullservice career counseling, and job placement."
