By Nico Zulli
Reporter
Welcome to i5, Baylor’s innovative program centered on a curriculum for technology ventures.
Faculty members in Hankamer School of Business, Rogers School of Engineering and Computer Science and Baylor School of Law have worked to create what they believe to be the one-of-a-kind program that equips students with the savvy to make career success possible.
These three Baylor schools joined forces to provide engineering, business and intellectual property law students an outlet for advanced learning during this age of globalization and digital innovation.
I5 stands for “Immersion Into International Interdisciplinary Innovation.” It is a team-based summer study abroad opportunity to China for students interested in further developing their expertise in the areas of business, technology and entrepreneurship.
The purpose of the program’s design is to offer a portal for experiential learning.
In addition, the program is headed by faculty who are experts in their fields and who emphasize the importance of global consciousness, intellectual property and developing students’ sense of cross-culture business, science and technology insight.
“This program is the only known program involving business and technology that integrates intellectual property, which is hyper imperative. Eighty-one percent of all companies listed on the stock exchange place most value on intellectual property,” said Dr. David G. Henry, part-time lecturer, registered patent attorney and i5 coach.
Undergraduate and graduate students can apply for different roles on an i5 team based on their areas of specialty, academic background, expertise and interest.
Students will be based out of chief cities in China, which most often include Hong Kong, Shanghai, Ning Bao and Beijing.
During the summer of 2013, students from the School of Engineering and Computer Science, Hankamer School of Business and School of Law joined students from University of Nottingham, Petra University and University of Macau for the five-week program in China.
Selected graduate students arrived about a month earlier than undergraduate participants, in order to establish themselves as interns and international project leaders at joining multinational corporations such as The Marco Company-Shanghai, Hewlett-Packard-Beijing Beckett Asia-Beijing, and many others.
As selected undergraduate participants traveled to their assigned locations, they worked on international projects under the mentorship and supervision of both graduate project leaders, supervising faculty and industry coaches.
Henry said undergraduate and graduate students are challenged, as a team, with the task of developing technology in subject matter that has not yet even “gone to market,” or become available for use by the general public.
“The students must ask themselves, ‘Is it feasible? Is it protectable? How can we market this? What should the pricing be?’” Henry said. “I5 is as real world as it gets.”
Austin junior and i5 participant, Kevin Rooney recalled his experience in China with i5 on the student spotlight section of the program’s website.
“The Chinese students were very driven and dedicated to the project — such hard workers and great people to work with,” Rooney wrote. “I was surprised to realize that the Chinese students and faculty we encountered were mostly like us and had a similar sense of humor. The experience showed me that the people of the world are a lot more like each other than we realize.”
To apply for the summer 2014 program, students must submit an application form, personal statement, recommendation, transcript and resume to 317 Hankamer Business School.
A separate application is required in order to be considered for the scholarships available. For more information on the Baylor i5 program, email David_Henry@baylor.edu.
