Entrepreneurship Enters Academic Core at Universal Ai University with Launch of UAi Center of Excellence

Dr. Simon Mak, Founding Vice Chancellor, Universal Ai University, joins Eric Liguori of Florida State University and Dr. Nader Jalili of Southern Methodist University to formalise global academic collaboration

Entrepreneurship has been formally embedded into the academic and research framework at Universal Ai University, which has announced the launch of the UAi Entrepreneurship Center of Excellence. The initiative is being developed in academic collaboration with Florida State University and Southern Methodist University.
The university-wide centre is structured to integrate innovation, venture creation, and entrepreneurial culture across teaching, research, and incubation platforms. Designed on globally benchmarked and American university-inspired models, the Center aims to align international best practices with India’s growing startup ecosystem.

The UAi Entrepreneurship Center of Excellence will support students, faculty, alumni, and startups within the surrounding region, while also inviting global startup companies to participate as resident members under the UAi Startup Launchpad. The framework is intended to enable practical collaboration by leveraging the university’s academic expertise, research facilities, laboratories, and student resources.
The Center’s first flagship initiative, the UAi BigIdeas Student PitchFest, is scheduled for 7 March and will provide students across disciplines with an opportunity to present venture ideas through a structured pitch format.

Commenting on the launch, Simon Mak, Founding Vice Chancellor, Universal Ai University, said the establishment of the Center marks a milestone in integrating entrepreneurship into the university experience. He noted that innovation gains traction when ideas move from classrooms to incubation and implementation within flexible institutional frameworks.
Congratulating the university on the initiative, Eric Liguori, Associate Dean for Research and External Affairs at the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, Florida State University, said the structured approach reflects the global nature of entrepreneurship and expressed interest in continued collaboration.

Nader Jalili, Mary and Richard Templeton Dean of the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University, said that the creation of the Center reflects the development of a strong innovation culture at Universal Ai University and highlighted future opportunities for academic engagement.
Through the Center of Excellence, Universal Ai University positions entrepreneurship as a foundational component of academic achievement and research activity, reinforcing its stated philosophy of Think. Act. Grow.

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