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UCSC’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development honored at Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Conference

December 18, 2024

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Nada Miljković, Lecturer at UCSC's Crown College and CIED Program Manager, accepts the award.
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED) at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has been recognized with the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation Award at the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) annual conference, held November 14-16, 2024. This prestigious award celebrates groundbreaking achievements in entrepreneurship education, spotlighting programs with measurable learning outcomes, strong student engagement, and significant stakeholder support.

Hosted by Babson College, this year’s GCEC conference brought together more than 700 innovation and entrepreneurship leaders from around the world representing over 300 universities dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship education. CIED was one of 16 programs to receive top honors, joining a distinguished list of awardees, including:

  • Harvard Innovation Labs (Harvard University): Outstanding Contributions to Venture Creation
  • Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking (Yale University): Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines
  • Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (University of Chicago): Outstanding Contributions to Venture Creation
  • University of Toronto Entrepreneurship: Winner in multiple categories, including Outstanding Contributions to Venture Creation
  • UCL School of Management (University College London): Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Education
The award underscores CIED’s commitment to empowering students with innovative entrepreneurship training and pedagogy. "This recognition affirms our mission to equip students with the tools and mindset to address real-world challenges through entrepreneurship while helping them be career-ready," said Manel Camps, Faculty Director of CIED.

For more information about CIED’s initiatives and its award-winning programs, visit cied.ucsc.edu.

About CIED:
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development at UC Santa Cruz supports students in developing entrepreneurial skills and mindsets through hands-on projects, real-world experiences, and interdisciplinary partnerships. By fostering innovation, CIED equips students to address global challenges and succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavors.