Cyprine Neba Funeh

(Advanced) Starter Seminars

WHY?

The world is like a business hub. Every activity is interconnected into a business venture in one way or the other. Consequently, to be able to navigate successfully, you need to be well informed to enhance smart decision making.Long gone are the days when business was meant for the guys of the economics and management faculty  and scientists were considered research focused nerds, and their works often resulted in well published articles. The results of our research should be felt by the community that sponsor these projects. Thus, we need to be able to figure out at what point our work can be valorised for the benefit of citizens. I have a friend who recently defended his PhD. He developed a very important molecule for biomedical application with valorisation potential, however, failed to have this protected by IP rights. These are the flipflops that the starter seminars help you avoid as a researcher.

ASSETS

These seminars not only sharpen your skills in this field but go further to equip you on how to go about the techtransfer aspects. It delves deeper into how to set up a start-up, how to navigate the pitfalls of early start-ups and gives you an in-depth skill set on business management, financing and business plan writing among a host of others, that can guarantee success in entrepreneurship.It was a great opportunity for me to acquire these skills for free as a PhD candidate at VUB, something I could not miss, because it can cost you hundreds if not thousands of euros to attend such seminars taught by top professionals.These are very rich content seminars. I appreciate the efforts of VUB TechTransfer for organising these. The timing is just so good (evenings), it allows workers to be able to attend, not to forget  its hybrid (onsite and online) nature that allows distance learning. Taught by professionals, experts, and consultants in top companies, with proven track record in their fields, you get an in-depth knowledge in a practical approach. With an ample time for an interactive discussion on practical aspects and there is always an interesting question and answer session.

WHAT I TAKE AWAY FROM THE SEMINARS

I must say, before attending the seminars, my knowledge of entrepreneurship, the business environment and ecosystem was very shallow. I often felt lost each time I found myself in a business and investment discussion. I enrolled in the Starter Seminars, where I gained good knowledge on what is the best entrepreneurial strategy, insight into the business ecosystem and how to create a niche for a successful business. How to innovate and outsmart your competitors was one of my favourites and, very importantly, how to raise money (funding and investors) for your business.In the second seminar sessions (Advanced Starter Seminars), 'how to write a winning business plan, how to negotiate the best deals with investors, and pitfalls to avoid as a start-up' were my favourite take-home messages. But all the aspects of starting up a company were very intriguing and all play a significant role in the success of a start-up.