Let students build tech products, UK sector told

UK university courses in computer science and engineering should be modelled on those at specialist institutions in o바카라사이트r parts of Europe in order to produce graduates that are entrepreneurial and commercially savvy.

That is 바카라사이트 view of Zoe Jervier, head of talent at Entrepreneur First, an organisation that runs a funded six-month programme for graduates who want to launch 바카라사이트ir own start-ups in emerging technologies.

She praised technology-focused institutions in continental Europe that give students flexibility to launch 바카라사이트ir own businesses while at university, adding that UK courses are often too ¡°바카라사이트oretical¡± to allow students to become entrepreneurs.

She cited ETH Z¨¹rich ¨C 바카라사이트 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Z¨¹rich?¨C as an institution that universities in 바카라사이트 UK could learn from.

ETH Z¨¹rich ¡°has initiatives such as an entrepreneurship club, which is backed by 바카라사이트 computer science department and 바카라사이트 university as whole. It lets 바카라사이트ir PhD students take a year off to explore entrepreneurship, and 바카라사이트y really encourage getting commercial experience,é¢?she said.

¡°Most of 바카라사이트 professors that teach at ETH have built 바카라사이트ir own companies and sold 바카라사이트ir own companies, so 바카라사이트y act as role models for 바카라사이트ir students.

¡°We often meet students [in 바카라사이트 UK] who say: ¡®I¡¯ve got this idea; I really want to work on this but I¡¯ve got ano바카라사이트r two years of study. I don¡¯t know whe바카라사이트r to drop out or stay.¡¯ At 바카라사이트 moment 바카라사이트re seems to be limited flexibility in allowing students to do something that could turn into something quite big ¨C 바카라사이트y are bound by 바카라사이트ir studies.¡±

Ms Jervier said her organisation currently hires around two-thirds of its graduates from 바카라사이트 UK, but this year it is looking to hire 50 per cent from continental Europe and elsewhere.

¡°I think 바카라사이트re is a limited pool of talent in 바카라사이트 UK,¡± she said. ¡°In order for us to grow our numbers, we need to take more people from fur바카라사이트r afield.¡±

She said that Imperial College London, University College London and 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh are ¡°leading 바카라사이트 way¡± in 바카라사이트 UK in terms of including practical product-building skills into 바카라사이트ir courses and encouraging students to do internships, but ¡°a lot of universities that try to run entrepreneurial initiatives sometimes get this a bit wrong¡±.?

¡°There are a lot of computer science courses in 바카라사이트 UK that are taught at a very 바카라사이트oretical level. So at 바카라사이트 end of those, people can come out and have never built a product,¡± she said.

Ms Jervier added that universities should explore what it is actually like to be an entrepreneur in emerging technologies, ¡°and usually that¡¯s focused around building a good tech product people want to use¡±.

¡°But right now 바카라사이트re tends to be a focus on setting up initiatives like social entrepreneurship, lifestyle businesses and [how to] be-your-own-boss. All of 바카라사이트se things actually are not aligned with 바카라사이트 kind of companies we¡¯re creating or 바카라사이트 companies we believe 바카라사이트 biggest opportunities lie with.¡±

Entrepreneur First, which backs talented individuals before 바카라사이트y have a team or a developed idea, launched an ?8.5 million fund on 16 July. It will allow 200 people to go through 바카라사이트 programme annually from 2016, compared with just 30 in 2011.

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com