Supervising a team of students and researchers with entrepreneurial aspirations presents a unique opportunity to expand your teaching and mentoring repertoire around early-phase innovation development and commercialisation processes.
The contribution our supervisors make is valuable on many levels, especially the impression teams receive about the possibilities that lie at this fertile interface of technology and entrepreneurship.
The team you would supervise is tasked with conducting a commercial feasibility study on a piece of new science or technology (submitted by an inventor) and producing a 3,000-word report at the end. Your role is to guide them in this task in line with our recommended structure for supervisions to ensure timely progression of the project.
Role of the supervisor
The team’s business supervisor gives three small-group supervisions on three themes to their student team over the duration of the programme:
- Technology and opportunity evaluation.
- Developing the business proposition.
- Refining the research and analysis.
Small group supervisions are typical to the Cambridge teaching system. They help students get to grips with exploring the commercial potential of their projects. The purpose of supervisions is to build on the lectures using a learning-by-doing approach. Each supervision lasts up to two hours and provides a rich and intellectual learning environment. Your team will be assessed and you help ensure they are match-fit.
What background should I have?
We look for people who have a broad set of coaching and teaching skills in established and emerging sectors that can enrich EnterpriseTECH with professional experience, knowledge and expertise. Our supervisors are a mix of academics and external professionals, as we aim to create good matches between projects and supervisors to maximise the experience for participants.
You are likely to be a good fit if you have a PhD and/or MBA with some experience supervising students, coaching startups, setting up your own business or advising other people on their businesses. We are currently building our pool of supervisors with science, medicine and engineering backgrounds.
What will I need to do?
In addition to the supervisions, you should attend Launch Night and Pitch Night, held at Cambridge Judge Business School, for the presentation of EnterpriseTECH you are supervising.
EnterpriseTECH UG
- Launch Night: Thursday 21 January 2021
- Pitch Night: Thursday 11 March 2021
EnterpriseTECH PG II
- Launch Night: Wednesday 17 February 2021
- Pitch Night: Friday 7 March 2021
What some of our supervisors have to say
