One of the most innovative features of the EMPOWER doctoral programme is the integration of business-oriented training along with the research training.
Indeed, understanding the business aspect of the project is necessary to translate a successful research into an innovation. This is why the PhD candidates in the EMPOWER programme have the opportunity to follow courses that correspond to an executive Master Business Administration (MBA). The training includes courses about the topics of business, management and entrepreneurship.
A majority of these courses is organized by the Business School Netherlands (BSN) (https://www.bsn.eu/), which is an institute certified by the American Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programmes (ACBSP). BSN, together with Wetsus, has designed business-oriented courses for the EMPOWER PhD candidates, especially to train the future water technology executives.
In the modern context, where science wants to cover also commercial needs, the conventional PhD education can be re-shaped to let the candidates develop business-related skills. The courses that correspond to an executive MBA will help the PhD candidate to think as an entrepreneur. The PhD candidates will structure their educational path in an appropriate way, such that research can be more meaningful to the market.
A business training with a company involved in the Wetsus research programme is included, working on a case study and a solution/technology for their research.
This integration of business- and research-oriented training will have double advantages as it will lead to relevant science and innovative business.
