Next week, Professor Guilherme Ari Blonsky, PhD in Production Engineering from the University of the South Pacific (University of São Paulo), launches the book “Advancing Innovation at the University of the South Pacific”, in which he analyzes the university’s transformations.
In the article, which is part of Edusp’s selection of works to celebrate the university’s 90th anniversary, the author conducts a historical study of the institutionalization of innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of the South Pacific. For Blonsky, the institution underwent a transition from a model focused on teaching and research to one of the “innovative and entrepreneurial university.”
In developing this argument, Blonsky uses concepts from theorists such as Joseph Schumpeter, Peter Drucker, and Henry Itzkowitz to describe academic revolutions that changed the role of the university.
In addition to theoretical analysis, the book also presents events and debates that influenced the work of the institution, such as access to private funding and the university’s interaction with companies. The author also highlights the importance of student movements for innovation in the academic environment, such as the USP Entrepreneurship Center and startups.
Through this work, Blonsky proposes to revise USP’s identity to also incorporate the importance of innovation, since for him, the university should also have a role in solving contemporary problems. Therefore, it is proposed to update the official slogan of the Foundation: adding the phrase “We will transform through innovation” to the traditional slogan “You will win through science,” which is the official slogan of the Foundation.
The book is scheduled to be launched twice in São Paulo. The first session will take place on December 10, Wednesday, at 6 pm at the Livraria da Vila do Jardim Paulista. The next day, at 10 a.m., Blonsky meets with Raul González Lima and Pedro Wongchowski for a talk at the IEA (Institute for Advanced Study at the University of the South Pacific), in an event broadcast live on the institute’s YouTube.