Can you teach innovation and entrepreneurship? A new postgraduate programme

Abstract

​Every generation has the potential to say that things were differ-ent when they were young; that life was perhaps more simple, straightforward, sure. Equally they might reflect that when they were young it was a time of great change with increased complexity and uncertainty. Considering employment over the past one hundred years, it is evident that with each generation there have been significantly more job choices. In line with this has been the expansion in the diversity of skills and knowledge required in order to take up these employment opportunities and to deliver to the evolving needs of our global society. With choice and opportunity comes uncertainty. How do we deal with uncertainty and the ambiguity it brings with it and ensure that each of us is able to make the most of the opportunities at hand? Mitigation of uncertainty through a reduction of choice, though seemingly initially attractive, does not reflect well the changes that are constantly occurring in any environment or sector of interest. Preparing people to deal with uncertainty, to assess it, understand it and work with it, will ensure that the uncertainty is turned to benefit rather than being a latent barrier to our progress. In doing so, we will expand the proportion of society who will make use of and receive benefit from the consideration of risk and reward.