Fostering Innovative Entrepreneurial Design Students: Exploring the Relationship between Innovation Characteristics and Attitudes towards Entrepreneurship in South African Design Students

Innovation and entrepreneurship have been increasingly recognized as drivers of socio-economic development. The term innovative entrepreneur is a relatively new one and could be necessary for economic growth during a challenging and changing global environment. Previous studies have found that limited job opportunities for architectural graduates has meant that many have changed careers while others have had to innovate to survive within the profession. Therefore, architects must transform and innovate to survive and so should our curriculum. Learning how to train these innovative entrepreneurs effectively is key. Innovation can be taught and result in improved entrepreneurial skills that develop better entrepreneurial competence. The challenge is for educators, researchers and policymakers to create curricula that will impact design students to foster innovative entrepreneurial graduates and lead to eventual growth in the economy. This article is the result of a study that explored and measured the characteristics and dynamics of an innovative entrepreneur in design students. The sample consisted of South African students from the architecture, interior, graphics and multimedia disciplines. The study is the first step in understanding what behaviours and attitudes are present in African innovative entrepreneurs. The findings suggest that there is a relationship between entrepreneurial attitudes and innovation characteristics and behaviours. These can be nurtured through a dynamic design curriculum and increase a design student’s propensity to become a better designer within a thriving economy

Prepare the winding path : examining the reuse potential of abandoned industrial infrastructure in community health, housing, transportation, recreation, and tourism

This study examines the reuse potential of industrial land and infrastructure left abandoned or otherwise underutilized. The goal of this study is to open discussion and dialogue into such cases in North American cities that currently are liabilities and offer guidelines and methods for approaching preservation and reuse of such properties in a manner that contributes to community health, safety and welfare while maintaining historical character and significance.Abandoned or underutilized industrial land and infrastructure often pose significant environmental, safety, and land-use liability issues for municipalities. The application of creative reuse ideas centered on the notion of preserving industrial character, while creating new housing and recreation options for citizens is a major opportunity for communities struggling to cope with the negative aspects of these properties.The design project portion of this study was performed as part of an `ideas competition' conducted in 2003 by the `Friends of The High Line,' a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving a 1.5 mile stretch of abandoned, elevated rail bed in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan Borough, New York City.Thesis (M. Arch.)Department of Architectur

In.Form: The Journal of Architecture, Design and Material Culture Volume 11: Design Process

The College of Architecture and the Kruger Collection are proud to co-sponsor In.Form, the scholarly journal of the University of Nebraska College of Architecture. Each volume seeks to explore a different theme or concept relating to architecture, design and material culture. In.Form is a peer-reviewed journal

Fostering Innovative Entrepreneurial Design Students: Exploring the Relationship between Innovation Characteristics and Attitudes towards Entrepreneurship in South African Design Students

Innovation and entrepreneurship have been increasingly recognized as drivers of socio-economic development. The term innovative entrepreneur is a relatively new one and could be necessary for economic growth during a challenging and changing global environment. Previous studies have found that limited job opportunities for architectural graduates has meant that many have changed careers while others have had to innovate to survive within the profession. Therefore, architects must transform and innovate to survive and so should our curriculum. Learning how to train these innovative entrepreneurs effectively is key. Innovation can be taught and result in improved entrepreneurial skills that develop better entrepreneurial competence. The challenge is for educators, researchers and policymakers to create curricula that will impact design students to foster innovative entrepreneurial graduates and lead to eventual growth in the economy. This article is the result of a study that explored and measured the characteristics and dynamics of an innovative entrepreneur in design students. The sample consisted of South African students from the architecture, interior, graphics and multimedia disciplines. The study is the first step in understanding what behaviours and attitudes are present in African innovative entrepreneurs. The findings suggest that there is a relationship between entrepreneurial attitudes and innovation characteristics and behaviours. These can be nurtured through a dynamic design curriculum and increase a design student’s propensity to become a better designer within a thriving economy

Toxicity of organic and inorganic mercury species in differentiated human neurons and human astrocytes

Organic mercury (Hg) species exert their toxicity primarily in the central nervous system. The food relevant Hg species methylmercury (MeHg) has been frequently studied regarding its neurotoxic effects in vitro and in vivo. Neurotoxicity of thiomersal, which is used as a preservative in medical preparations, is to date less characterised. Due to dealkylation of organic Hg or oxidation of elemental Hg, inorganic Hg is present in the brain albeit these species are not able to readily cross the blood brain barrier. This study compared for the first time toxic effects of organic MeHg chloride (MeHgCl) and thiomersal as well as inorganic mercury chloride (HgCl2) in differentiated human neurons (LUHMES) and human astrocytes (CCF-STTG1). The three Hg species differ in their degree and mechanism of toxicity in those two types of brain cells. Generally, neurons are more susceptible to Hg species induced cytotoxicity as compared to astrocytes. This might be due to the massive cellular mercury uptake in the differentiated neurons. The organic compounds exerted stronger cytotoxic effects as compared to inorganic HgCl2. In contrast to HgCl2 exposure, organic Hg compounds seem to induce the apoptotic cascade in neurons following low-level exposure. No indicators for apoptosis were identified for both inorganic and organic mercury species in astrocytes. Our studies clearly demonstrate species-specific toxic mechanisms. A mixed exposure towards all Hg species in the brain can be assumed. Thus, prospectively coexposure studies as well as cocultures of neurons and astrocytes could provide additional information in the investigation of Hg induced neurotoxicity.publishe