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View from the top: Gerry George, Imperial College London
His latest publication Inventing Entrepreneurs: Technology Innovators and their Entrepreneurial Journey, co-authored with Adam Bock, has been flying of the shelves. QS topgradschool.com, talks to the man behind the bestseller, Professor Gerry George, one of the most high profile academic authors and in demand teachers at Imperial College, London.
The journey Professor George speaks of in his bestseller reflects his own personal journey from South Asia to London. Born in India, Professor George read genetics for his first degree at the prestigious Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India before moving to the University of Virginia in the USA for his PhD studies. Upon successful completion of his doctorate he joined Syracuse University in upstate New York and later the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he taught for eight years, blending science and technology with business as director of the Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship Program.
The latest chapter of Professor George’s international journey in higher education has seen him move from London Business School to Imperial College, London, one of the foremost science, medical and technology institutions in the world. Founded in 1907, Imperial College has over 12,000 students, a third of whom are from outside the European Union, representing 123 countries. Rated the fifth best university in the world by the Times Higher – QS World University Rankings 2007, Professor George has been at Imperial College for the last two years and is the AIM Innovation Fellow of the UK’s Economic and Research Council (ESRC).
Having an international background and being presented with international opportunities helps enormously, as does having a particular skills set that allows you to recognize opportunities to make the most of.
Professor George’s excitement about his academic life is infectious and encouraging for any prospective international student wanting to study a masters or PhD program abroad. He is a little unconventional perhaps, but his approach is one to be praised. Part of his appeal is his energy: “Every couple of years or more I get a bit of time and I start a new company. I have varied interests in these and one focuses on services, one is in the IT space, another in business intelligence and a further company is related to reagents. Having an international background and being presented with international opportunities helps enormously, as does having a particular skills set that allows you to recognize opportunities to make the most of.
Alongside his teaching and research duties at Imperial College, Professor George is also director of the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Integrated with one of the largest business, engineering and medical institutions teaching in Europe today, the Centre seeks to encourage the cross-fertilization of ideas from all academic areas benefiting Indian and UK companies by improving their performance in innovation management. Central to such an approach is an understanding of all aspects of internationalization, including an appreciation of the culture and business practices of Indian and UK companies.
The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship reflects Professor George’s international approach and experience when teaching international students. “It’s not a ‘one size fits all’ process at all when dealing with international graduate students,” Professor George says. “Obviously different students have different approaches to their subjects and they should all be encouraged to build on their exposure, their experience and their excitement – particularly the international management students that I teach.”
Professor George sees great value in the interaction between local students and those from different parts of the world. “Bringing together students and business people from all over the world is definitely an important part of what we do here. Having them experience different cultures is beneficial for all, as is the excitement of learning and discovery.”
Reflecting on bringing international students together, Professor George feels that the role of scholarships can sometimes be surprising. With a significant pool of financial aid, including dedicated awards for Indian students, Imperial College has made great efforts to recruit international graduate candidates from differing backgrounds. “Having students together in the classroom who otherwise might not come into contact with one another contributes to the excitement. An international class gains you the exposure and the experience to do well in the current climate. I am an example of this and it informs my working life – I was born Indian, I’m an American citizen and a British resident.”
