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Microsoft Corporation has awarded FIU Business a $100,000 grant to launch the Center for Engaged Management Scholarship (CEMS), where Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) students and graduates will provide research-based guidance to businesses.
As the program's founding partner, Microsoft is providing seed money to establish the CEMS infrastructure and hire staff, said George Marakas, associate dean of research and doctoral studies at FIU Business.
CEMS will follow the practitionerscholar model, where DBA students who have completed doctoral coursework but haven't begun work on their dissertations, as well as DBA graduates from FIU and other universities, will apply research data to find solutions for businesses.
"This is an opportunity to create business engagement between the graduates of our research-level degree program and companies at the local, national and international levels," Marakas said.
"This is an opportunity to create business engagement between the graduates of our research-level degree program and companies at the local, national and international levels."
- George Marakas
The program will support businesses with evidence-based solutions to existing problems, assist in the implementation of those solutions and provide analysis of their effectiveness, Marakas explained.
At the same time, the practitionerscholars will gain real-world skills, plus research and publishing opportunities. A dedicated team of CEMS fellows will be assigned to each project based on the company's needs.
"CEMS will generate meaningful research and creative activities as well as produce transformative innovations through its partnerships," Marakas said. "The practitioner-scholars' commitment to rigorous and evidence-based analysis promotes direct action on applied business problems."
The FIU Business DBA program is an executive-style experience that focuses on applied rather than theoretical research, presenting students with the unique opportunity to solve practical problems as part of their dissertation projects. The goal is to add an extra layer of knowledge to professional practice.
