UTS gives its students first-hand experience on how to become successful entrepreneurs

When Deepa Gupta, the founding director of online advocacy platform Jhatkaa joined University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) as a business student, she didn’t know that she would be making a career out of activism and social change. Says Deepa, “Before I joined UTS, I didn’t know what activism was. I got to run my first campaign at UTS. On the other hand, my degree also taught me about organisations and how to run them. I was able to do my entire degree part-time, take time off to run my organisation and work alongside when I needed to.” According to her, the business and life skills that she picked up during her time at UTS have helped her campaign for change and mobilise over 400,000 people.

Similarly, Anubhav Jain, the 33-year-old co-founder of medical collaboration platform GoDoctor, also credits UTS for helping him hone his entrepreneurial skills. The serial entrepreneur, who has founded two companies and co-founded five ventures, did a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from UTS. “The interactivity during the sessions, the practical aspects versus the course material really helps in creating a good balance between the theory and practical side of things,” says Anubhav, of his time at UTS.

These are just two of the several thousands of entrepreneurial success stories that have emerged from the prestigious and innovative Sydney institution.

Founded in 1988, UTS is ranked Australia’s #1 young university and is also ranked 69^th in the world for graduate employability by QS Rankings (2017).

UTS is one of the largest universities in Australia with over 40,000 students of various nationalities enrolled across 130 graduate courses and 210 post-graduate courses. The learning model at UTS involves a practice-oriented approach, where students have an option to get hands-on professional experience even as they are studying. While theory is important, the practical implementation of what students learn in classrooms in real-life situations is one of the key factors that has led to UTS successfully nurturing entrepreneurs across generations.

Below are just some of the reasons why the University of Technology Sydney is fast becoming the next MIT.

Ultimo, Sydney, where UTS is located, is a bustling section of Australia’s startup state New South Wales, and is home to a multitude of innovative tech and creative startups and the biggest co-working space in Australia (Fishburners). In fact, Ultimo and UTS have big plans – their goal is to become Australia’s next Silicon Valley. For students, this immersive experience of the startup ecosystem at an early stage helps them better understand the intricacies of entrepreneurship, get inspired and utilise the learnings in their own startup journey.

Under a unique entrepreneurship programme known as the Hatchery+, which supports early stage ventures founded or co-founded by UTS students and recent graduates, students get guidance on how they can successfully develop their ideas. This support is in the form of access to a co-working space (the programme has partnered with Fishburners) and inclusion in a three-month accelerator programme, interaction with leading experts from the startup ecosystem, and relevant workshops and master classes.

UTS counts among its faculty members Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who is an adjunct professor with the Engineering and IT faculty. This is the only adjunct professor role he has accepted at any university in the world. Need we say more? When the students get to learn from some of the best global minds, they are automatically inspired to challenge themselves and push themselves to excel.

The philosophy at UTS has been to create a collaborative and innovative learning atmosphere. With that in mind, the campus has been designed in such a way that students have access to the latest tools and technology as well as facilities that encourage an entrepreneurial approach to problem solving.

From a cutting-edge Science Super Lab, the only one of two of its kind in Australia, to a Data Arena which offers 360-degree interactive data visualisation, a Biotech Green Hub which supports up-and-coming entrepreneurs in the biotechnology area, a Magic Lab which facilitates the testing of latest technology and robotics, and cross-faculty labs such as Proto Space, which traverse the Design, Architecture, Engineering & IT and Science landscape, the UTS campus is well-equipped to foster innovative and hands-on learning.

With a finger on the pulse of the demands of a fast evolving world, the courses at UTS are crafted to reflect changing professional requirements. For instance, they have just introduced unique courses, including a Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation degree, Bachelor of Technology and Innovation and even have a degree in Digital and Social Media.

UTS has partnered with over 240 universities in 40 countries across the globe, and sends more students overseas as part of exchange programmes than any other university in Australia. This allows students to get a first-hand perspective on the culture of different countries and equips them with practical knowledge of how they can go global in future.

So if you’re a budding young entrepreneur and are looking for a university to take you to that next level – UTS could be your perfect match.

Get more information about UTS and read more alumni entrepreneur stories here.

Who knows – your story could be featured next!