Thomas Zurbuchen: Community-Sourced Projects

This sounds to be a very exciting concept and as a university student I appreciate the idea of allowing the application of skills while still in the classroom. I found the analogy of Thomas Zurbuchen the director of the Center for Entrepreneurship students as race cars stuck in first gear, quite accurate. For I feel why not use the passion that students have and apply it now instead of expecting them to do so right out of school when the realization of bills and student loans really begin to set in and they cease to see the potential of their talent and fall into a routine that may not foster creativity. The business concept itself is wonderful, by recruiting companies that have problems that combine technology and business with a strong potential for commercialization giving opportunity for the company and the students. I especially am intrigued by the idea that is currently being implemented in Africa of the satellite-based internet cafes. The combination of using the student’s aerospace knowledge and combining it to solve a social economic problem is excellent and really will instil concepts that will assist them throughout their careers. I feel that Google was an ideal candidate for this concept as Africa is rather ignored (other than South Africa) and as improvements are made in the quality of living in different countries in Africa a new and large market place is opening up. I was wondering if the pilot cafes do well that this could offer a great chance for franchising for Google, tracking down entrepreneurs in Africa to run the cafes. With success Google could increase sales and profits and open up new jobs in Africa. Also it would be wonderful if some schools partnered in and offered programs that would allow more people to get college degrees, with such access to internet it could really allow for a boom in Africa creating more jobs in the different countries. Google will probably remain without much competition and they will really be able to corner the market there if the business prototypes prove successful. Though I am sure it will be a long road ahead introducing the internet into areas that it may be alien to, much like it was for Subway introducing sandwiches into Japan where no one really wanted or new what to do with a sandwich. But the potential of a great return on investment is very likely not to mention the wonderful social benefits that the different countries will gain from having access to the internet.

Hello, my name is Jessica and I am a senior at Eastern Michigan University. I agree with you in the fact that many students leave school not knowing how and what to do with the skills they have acquired. My major is not engineering but I also agree that it is engineers and scientists that need to put their skills to the test by trying to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. You beam inspiration when you spoke on that topic and it was very refreshing to see. Business solutions need to have an exceptional value to the customer. A product or service can fail just because the customers don’t value the product or service and it needs to benefit them in an extreme way. In my opinion I think that it is these kinds of values that you teach to your students. Go beyond what is expected and go further than first gear and push to second. Your aerospace program sounds fascinating and I really enjoyed hearing you talk about it. Thank you.

The purpose or aim behind the creation of the Center of Entrepreneurship is indeed commendable. It gives students an excellent environment to learn and make history. I am a senior at Eastern Michigan University and from time to time one of our instructor’s will ask us why students lack motivation to take an extra step. I think Thomas Zurbuchen was trying to motivate his students to go beyond the requirement and make a difference. Center of Entrepreneurship gives students a chance to test out reality. I think it prepares us better to handle problems in the real world. I think every college course should incorporate some realistic element to enhance the learning experience and to challenge students. When student get to make a difference in real life they feel empowered to achieve higher. I also think people work harder when they know others can be affected by their decisions. The launch of internet cafes in Africa taught students social responsibility and improved their analytical skills. That is the beauty of realistic situations; students actually get to experience the cause and effect of their decision. This is very important component of enterpreneuship. People are afraid to take risk now-a-days but such programs boost confidence and teach students to trust their inner instinct. The Center of Entrepreneurship teaches students to think like a true entrepreneur. Before launching programs the students are advised to consider the economic feasibility of the product or service. It is highly important for entrepreneurs to understand their target market and then develop a product/service based on the growth curve. If a product/service does not potential all effort is lost.

This concept of merging the classroom and boardroom takes the idea of learning to a whole new level. Teaching students that solutions to real world problems even in the classroom involve an end product that people want to buy is essentially on the job training while attending class. The use of existing companies such as Google increases the confidence factor for students and makes the transition to an entrepreneur much easier. Combining Aerospace with a socio-economic problem speaks right to the entrepreneurial spirit of creating a company that improves the quality of life for the public and makes the world an overall better place to live. I would like to see more of the other projects they have tackled as I think that there are many other existing entrepreneurs who would present difficult problems to be resolved in the university setting. Several of the big fears that entrepreneurs deal with are the fear of failure and the fear of losing their investment. This option puts them on training wheels and as Mr. Zurbuchen points out gets them out of the race car's first gear. Randy Wiltshire

As a student of Eastern Michigan University, I can agree that Professor Zurbuchen is absolutely right, it is important for us students to graduate knowing we are able to solve major real world problems. After listening to the interview with Thomas Zurbuchen, I was very impressed by his teaching style. Many other professors need to implement real world issues into the classroom and avoid using so much of the textbook. Professor Zurbuchen’s statements about college students is very accurate. Sure, there are college students graduate with a degree, but how well are they equipped to deal with real world problems is a mystery. Many students do not know what to do when they graduate because they are not confident in themselves and are stuck in first gear. In order to approach a problem, you need to able to feel confident in yourself. The Centre for Entrepreneurship is a great course for students to be involved in, it allows students to solve real world problems in real life that connect with a company, which will help push them into second gear, rather than on solving problems on a board. Not only do engineers need to be actively involved, college students of all different majors should have the opportunity to take part in such a course. Being a business major, I can relate to this video as well. There were numerous business classes I took that provided me with real life situations to help make me feel more confident in myself once I graduate and need to find a job. Being unfamiliar with this topic, the project related to locating internet cafes in Africa was very exciting to hear about. The combination of using student’s aerospace knowledge and combining it to solve a social economic problem is outstanding and really will help them in their future careers. It was so exciting because it involved not only engineering students, but also business students, which is my major. Kevin Sikora