Priorities:Dalhousie University - Student Priorities

OVERVIEW

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Dalhousie University is located in the heart of Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada. Local startup ecosystem is still in its growing stage. There have been several champions working on developing the ecosystem, but only very recently has the government started to put more pressure on universities to promote entrepreneurship and facilitate deeper connection with the local startup community. Based on this initiative there was a group of political, academic and business leaders formed called oneNS Coalition. The mandate of oneNS Coalition is to instill further growth in the region and a 10 year plan for economic development and sustainability. One of the major topics is entrepreneurship and innovation.

Going through the training to become University Innovation Fellow, we had a great opportunity to get out of the building and talk to large amount of students and faculty member from across the campus and map out our campus landscape and recognize some of the major shortcomings that need to be addressed.

The Sexton Engineering Campus at Dalhousie University is physically isolated from the main campus. This hinders the opportunity for full collaboration within the main campus. We believe that cross-faculty collaboration is essential for further growth of our startup ecosystem. A great example of this is a company called Spring Loaded, where three students from various faculties met in the Starting Lean Course, came up with an idea for a new generation of knee braces and raised over $1.8 million in seed financing to date.

Student Priority - Connecting Engineering Students with the rest of the campus

We are very pleased with the initiative from the university and the province to create the Innovation Hub (IDEA Building) which is a Multipurpose building on Sexton Campus. As University Fellow candidates, we fully support this initiative and are willing to help to further promote it as well as help with information interviews, planning and further ideation on its programs and events.

As one of our strategic student priorities we have created a grassroots movement Dalhousie Entrepreneurship Society.

Student Priority - Dalhousie Entrepreneurship Society (D.E.S.)

A student-centric organization on campus that aims to build an inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem on the Dalhousie University campus from within by exposing students in all faculties to resources and funding opportunities, organizing hackathons, startup weekends, conferences and connecting them with the local startup community. D.E.S serves as a vehicle to deliver our strategic student priorities and initiatives.

Tactic no.1:

Build a framework which we can pass along for next generation of student entrepreneurs.

Tactic no.2:

Recruit students in their first and second year to ensure sustainable future for D.E.S.

Tactic no.3

Raise awareness with series of student-drive events, meetups and competitions.

In addition, we are currently in the process of creating new By-Laws and a more comprehensive Constitution to enable us fully establish ourselves as the leading student-led organization promoting Entrepreneurship and Innovation on Campus and help us seek further funding opportunities.

Student Priority - Collider Space in Library (Innovation space in Killam Library)

The Collider is a multipurpose space in Killam Library for the collision of serendipitous ideas where from all academic and professional disciplines can come together to develop ideas and and create the future generation of innovators. The Collider connect students, local startups, mentors, investors and allows them to work together to help further grow the local startup ecosystem. 

Killam Library is the least-siloed space on the campus and place where people come together

Library is a place where people come together and libraries are reinventing themselves. It is in our best interest to help push this initiative to its full potential.

Tactic no.1:

Series of Hackathons, Events & Conferences

The Collider would serve a great venue for a series of student-led Hackathons, Events & Conferences.

Dalhousie Entrepreneurship Society is piloting is a student-led hackathon for Oceanography and Marine programs Hackamarine 2015. Hackamarine is going to be an annual event held at Dalhousie University, a school well known for its world-class Marine & Oceanography programs. This is a cross-faculty event aiming to bring talent from various fields to work on major problems in Oceans & Marine Sciences. The winning teams will take home a cumulative total of $5,000 in prizes. This is a great opportunity for students to connect with industry experts, potential employers, and other professionals in the (Oceans and Marine) field. In addition, they will receive mentoring from top professors in Management, Life Sciences, Marine programs, Engineering and Computer Science.

Student Priority - Innovation Hub (IDEA Building)

Tactic no.1

Engineering Connect (E-Connect)

D.E.S plans to organize a series of workshops and events that facilitates the free flow of ideas and networking between the engineering campus and rest of the faculties at Dalhousie University.

Tactic no.2

Maker Club - Garage

Create a student-led club on the main campus that will promote our main makerspace on Sexton Campus. This space would serve as place where students can get in initial contact with 3D Printing, Electronics, Raspberry Pi’s and more. This would create a funnel of students on main campus for Innovation Hub on Sexton Campus.

Student Priority - Co-curricular Record (Design Thinking & Lean Methodology)

Last but not least we plan to start proposing to have Design Thinking & Lean Methodology offered as official co-curricular record to motivate students to get introduced to the entrepreneurial mindset. This would serve as an ideal channel to non-invasively encourage students to get involved with entrepreneurship on the campus.

Related Links

Dalhousie University

Justin Javorek

Dhruv Bhatia