Essential Competencies for Innovative Talents

The USIEA Essential Competencies for Innovative Talents includes 20 - 25 academic hours per week of instruction and other academic experiences designed to fulfill these objectives: • develop knowledge of leadership styles and techniques • identify entrepreneurial approaches to innovation • sharpen persuasive speaking and writing skills • build confidence for future business endeavors • experience the unique academic and social culture of an Ivy League university ECIT includes the following courses and activities: Persuasive Speaking and Writing for Entrepreneurs enhances students' persuasive communication skills to better communicate and sell their ideas. It covers persuasion elements, effective speaking, and written correspondence. Students collaborate in teams, crafting a business plan and a persuasive presentation for the Entrepreneurial Team Competition. Innovation and Technology cultivates speaking, listening, and critical thinking skills by exploring how technological advancements shape today's world and our future. It covers Mobile Technology, Robotics, and Nanotechnology/Medical Technology. Leadership and Team Building delves into leadership styles, effective communication, and organizational dynamics. It analyzes successful CEOs, prompting students to explore their own leadership styles and understand team development and success. University Lectures from The Wharton School focus on leadership, innovation, and communication for young professionals. Field Trips engage participants with Philadelphia's neighborhoods, tying into their studies and exposing them to the city's history and culture. The Entrepreneur Team Competition kicks off early, requiring teams to apply skills and knowledge from tracks, lectures, and field trips to think and compete like entrepreneurs by developing a new product idea, researching the industry and potential competitors, writing a simple business plan and giving a final persuasive presentation to a panel of judges