The UCI Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) collaborated with UCI Applied Innovation to host a group of nine students from both Kookmin and Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea for a residence program from January 30 to February 21, 2017. The program mission was to provide students with an immersive learning experience that exposed them to business principles, innovative practices, and culture in the United States.
The following learning objectives served as the focus of the 3-week program:
- Acquire technical competencies related to the components of business model development.
- Develop a working understanding of different key sources of funding (seed, angel, venture capital, etc.)
- Gain exposure to the local entrepreneurial culture and mindset.
The program was divided into a series of activities, including curated workshops, lectures, and events at the Cove and on-campus and a guided entrepreneurship project led by David Ochi, Executive Director of the UCI ANTrepreneur Center. Students also interacted with Cove Experts-in-Residence, Cove incubator startups, tenants, and staff.
Students shared that the program was their “first opportunity to learn marketing and gain exposure to the business model canvas” and that they “learned core concepts about business and some essential skills of an entrepreneur.” The group also indicated that their experience in the program gave them further motivation to study and work harder when they returned to their home universities.