Springfield College Professor Talks Entrepreneurship in China

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College Professor of Management and U.S. Fulbright grant recipient Robert Fiore recently traveled to China to collaborate with faculty and students at Hong Kong Baptist University in the academic area of entrepreneurship. Fiore assisted in the development of research and curriculum in China’s new initiative mandating the development of entrepreneurial courses to be offered at all universities.

During his visit, Fiore presented his entrepreneurial and international business publications fostering cross-cultural discussions on entrepreneurial issues; research about company formulation, feasibility analysis, and ways to enhance success rates; the U.S. perspective on capital formation; the capital-allocation process; financing sources; standards of equity investing in entrepreneurship; and rates of return generated by successful entrepreneurship.

“The collaboration was exciting because it allowed us to exchange ideas on modes of entrepreneurial company formulation specifically dedicated to elevate geographically focused poverty and enhance economic growth within low-income regions by the use of micro-financing and village-based cooperative entrepreneurship,” said Fiore, who was hosted by Michael Young, the chair of Hong Kong Baptist University’s Management Department. “I was also able to review the practicality of the new Hong Kong Baptist University Entrepreneurship Centre.”

As part of the program, Fiore presented biographical material of notable entrepreneurs to highlight their use in teaching and fostering entrepreneurship among students by analysis of the successful entrepreneur’s attitudes and behavior. He discussed lean entrepreneurial start-up procedures and methods as taught in the U.S., the U.S. perspective on crowd-funding financing sources, and legal issues of intellectual-property development.

Springfield College has a lengthy association with Hong Kong Baptist University. This project deepened the relationship between the institutions by exploring and formulating more opportunities for cross-country student and faculty exchange programs in the areas of entrepreneurship, global international business, and management. As a continuation of this strong partnership, Fiore is expecting to allow his students to collaborate with Chinese students via Skype during the upcoming semester.

The core Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is led by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and provides approximately 800 teaching and/or research grants to U.S. faculty and experienced professionals in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. The program awards grants to qualified U.S. faculty and professionals in select disciplines to engage in collaborative projects at eligible institutions in more than 140 countries worldwide.