Welcome to the Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland.  The Academy is a signature initiative to infuse the University with a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across all colleges, building on the institution's excellence as a research university.

Our mission is to support both the curricular and experiential education of all students so that they are inspired and empowered to translate creative ideas into enterprising solutions that solve problems whether economic, societal, technological, or cultural and thereby create value.  The Academy embodies the core land-grant university ideal of putting knowledge into action.  This is where ideas—Fearless Ideas—are transformed to impact.



The Office of the President and the Office of the Provost created the Academy to underscore the continual commitment this University has to make an impact on the lives of students and faculty so that they can make positive difference in the world.  There is already an incredible foundation of entrepreneurial courses and programs here, built over 25 years.  Our goal is to build on that foundation to grow existing, successful programs and to launch new courses and initiatives to address new needs and opportunities.



Exciting new initiatives are coming soon, but in the meantime, there are dozens of exciting entrepreneurial programs, events and competitions across campus year-round.  We encourage everyone to learn more about such programs as Innovation Fridays, UMD Startup Boot Camp, Cupid's Cup, Social Value Symposium, Do Good Challenge, UMD Business Model Competition, ACC Clean Energy Challenge, and the annual Invention of the Year.  Details on all of these programs—and more—can be found on this website.

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Sincerely,

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Dean Chang
Associate Vice President for Innovation and Entrepreneurship