In June, a South-Central Pennsylvania delegation of 30 will fly to Shanghai for a series of conferences and one-on-ones with Chinese business and government leaders. The trip is the first public event scheduled by the new Entrepreneurial Leadership Center at Millersville University.
Melvin Allen serves as project director and executive director. He directs the university’s Civic and Community Engagement and Research Project, established to promote regional economic development The new program, part of that larger project, will carve a niche among start-up help groups with a focus on doing business in Asia.
The centers China Desk will offer consulting services for small businesses and entrepreneurs in central Pennsylvania who seek to do business in China. For the past decade, Millersville has brought Chinese businesspeople to its campus for management development programs. Allen believes that a two-way exchange makes sense.
We have had hundreds of participants at various levels of business and government. Now we can leverage our network, he says. The program will expand to India in the future.
On the domestic front, the program will offer courses and certificate programs to entrepreneurs. We are creating a number of products. Another part of entrepreneur education is targeted at our undergrad and grad students,” Allen adds.
While a $207,000 state grant has helped the program get underway, Allen stresses that it will pay its own way, charging fees for its services. The starting points, Allen says, will be in the fields of science and technology and the arts, along with the global business assistance program.
Source: Melvin Allen, Millersville University
Writer: Chris O’Toole