Beyza Baran, an international MSc Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology graduate, was always keen to pursue a career in technology transfer. Now working as an IP & Commercialisation Manager at the University of Strathclyde, Bezya collaborates with members of the academic and research community to identify and review opportunities for commercialisation. She also supports inventors with new business formation, legal frameworks, shareholder agreements and sourcing funding. Her choice in degree and University was, as she notes, instrumental in being successful upon graduation.
The focal point for entrepreneurial education at Strathclyde is not just about how to build your own business but also how to run your business, how to evaluate your growth strategy, how to manage human capital, how to handle figures and investments and, most importantly, how to be a good leader for your business. It also focuses on intrapreneurial activities and the skills needed to adapt and respond to changing environments – to be resilient and ready for anything that life throws at you!
Reflecting on her success in gaining her role as IP & Commercialisation Manager, Bezya highlights that it was not only her degree but her overall entrepreneurial education experience at Strathclyde that provided her with both the skillset and the technical knowledge required to be successful. As a Masters student, Beyza took the opportunity to get involved in a number of entrepreneurial extracurricular activities, and attended multiple entrepreneurial events offered at Strathclyde. As a result, Beyza was fortunate enough to work with an academic researcher to commercialise their invention and subsequently used that individual as a referee for the job she has now.
Beyza credits both her degree and extracurricular experiences at Strathclyde in giving her real-life examples to use in interview and providing a unique opportunity to build her professional network in an area she was keen to work in. Providing insight into her entrepreneurial journey and experience at Strathclyde, Beyza concludes:
My advice for anyone wishing to set themselves apart from other graduates is to talk to as many people as possible. Get involved in the culture and experiences that Strathclyde can offer. Get out of your comfort zone. Say yes to new things. Be open to possibilities and your untapped potential – you never know who you might meet and what skills you’ll gain!
