UQ AIBN commercialisation associate Dr Aoife Cullen is one of only five Australians selected for a scholarship to attend an intensive business studies program at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.
Dr Cullen obtained a scholarship worth 8000AUD from the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre to attend the Stanford Summer Institute for Entrepreneurship from June 19 until July 15.
The course combines lectures, entrepreneurial projects, small group discussions, guest entrepreneurs and workshops to provide a comprehensive understanding of business fundamentals and the process of launching a new venture.
(AIBN — the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology — is one of eight research institutes at The University of Queensland.)
Dr Cullen has been working as part of a team on new business projects throughout the program and will help present a final proposal to a panel of venture capitalists.
“I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to strengthen my entrepreneurial skills and broaden my knowledge of business development,” she said.
“I believe the opportunity to attend the Stanford Summer Institute for Entrepreneurship enables me to assist UQ AIBN to achieve even greater success and my attendance will provide a broad benefit to AIBN and greatly assist my own professional development.”
Entry to the course was competitive, with more than 350 applications from postgraduate professionals with backgrounds in engineering, medicine, science and humanities but only 75 places.
Eight Australians were successful in gaining entry to the course, with only five obtaining a scholarship.
With its campus in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is regarded as one of the world’s leading research universities in computer science, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences.
More than 50 Stanford faculty, staff and alumni have won the Nobel Prize and alumni have founded many prominent technology companies.
Media: Erik de Wit (0427 281 466)
