When Chancellor Holden Thorp and economics professor Buck Goldstein began writing a book about innovation, they had no idea what lay in store for them.
Four years later, the release of “Engines of Innovation” roughly coincides with the announcement of “Innovate@Carolina,” a $125 million plan that University officials hope will change the University’s academic culture.
But Thorp won’t single-handedly guide the program. And a more innovative University won’t have an entrepreneurship department or a vice chancellor for innovation.
It will feature smaller initiatives specific to departments and schools, all aimed at making the University more receptive to students pursuing ideas and practical solutions to global problems.
“We’re not talking about changing the disciplinary landscape of the University,” Thorp said.
“What we are talking about is creating an environment where people feel comfortable taking risks and trying to solve new problems.”
This will include programs such as funds for students interested in pursuing ideas and professorships for individuals who have proven themselves innovators, said Judith Cone, special assistant to the chancellor for innovation and entrepreneurship.
The millions of dollars needed to fund the project will all be raised through private donations.
The implementation of the project will be decentralized, with no single group coordinating the effort. Rather, specific schools and departments will be putting initiatives into place themselves.