During the week of December 6- 8 2011, faculty member and lecturer in Entrepreneurship Ms. Zen Parry attended the 15th UNESCO Asia-Pacific Programme of Educational Innovation for Development (APEID) in Jakarta, Indonesia. The conference is a forum for policy dialogue and information and knowledge sharing on development-oriented education innovations and best practices throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
This years’ theme was Inspiring Education: Creativity and Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with the World Bank and the Ministry of National Education and Culture in Indonesia, to foster discussions on creativity and entrepreneurship, and strengthen their linkages in education and the workplace.
Ms. Parry presented her paper “Removing the Walls of the Classroom and the Covers off the Textbook – A Case Study of One Creative Entrepreneurial class at the SolBridge International School of Business, South Korea”. Her co-author, Dr. Craig Baird of the Curtin Business School, Australia, contributed to the paper through his research and analysis on how Skype technology can become an integral part of student services and expand relationships with students beyond the classroom and study environments. These complimentary themes demonstrated that easily accessible technologies such as Skype can create borderless worlds where participants can intuitively foster creativity and new relationships outside of traditional expectations.
In her typical note-free presentation style, Ms. Parry showcased many of her pedagogic approaches, curricula elements and support materials she has developed to promote creativity and entrepreneurship within and outside of the classroom. Many key points prompted discussion with questions from the capacity-filled audience about her educational approach, and some of the specific projects and practices she believes enhance knowledge, understanding, and learning in academic environments.
Easily moving between private sector experiences and discussing the broader concepts of creativity and entrepreneurship applied academically at SolBridge, Ms. Parry emphasized the priorities in her classroom: nurturing young adults to find their confidence and identities through inspiration, passion and courage, along with instilling honorable ethics, morals and values. In concluding her presentation, Ms. Parry commented, “if it wasn’t for my students, I wouldn’t be here today telling their story. They inspire me as much as I hope to inspire them.”
