Declines in public support for universities throughout the world have prompted administrators and policymakers to seek alternative funding. One favored idea is the entrepreneurial university —one that uses modern business practices including commercializing its intellectual property. A related notion is the entrepreneurial professor, who is willing to explore new commercial markets for his or her intellectual outputs. Although these concepts for commercialization and partnerships with business and government are not always appreciated or embraced, they are becoming more common, particularly in the natural sciences, engineering, and medicine.
This book focuses on the field of geography and its potential in the entrepreneurial university. The contributors also discuss how to encourage the acceptance of entrepreneurial faculty who move the work of academic geography into the world of commercial applications in industry, government, and nongovernmental sectors.