CQU’s new Creative Enterprise degree is expected to become an incubator for Noosa Shire’s desired ‘smart industries’ developments.

That is according to the University’s Vice-Chancellor and President Professor John Rickard, who will launch the degree this afternoon (4pm, Friday, October 22, Conference Room Australis Noosa Lakes Resort, Hilton Terrace, Noosaville) in the presence of potential local stakeholders.

Professor Rickard (available to speak to media at 11am today at Australis Noosa Lakes Resort) said research in Europe and the USA showed that creative enterprise initiatives helped to generate entrepreneurial activities which wider regional employment growth was able to ‘hang off’.

The VC said the involvement of local industries as workplace mentors was vital to ensure campus knowledge was able to be converted into employable skills.

He said the Harvard Business Review this year reported that fine arts graduates were becoming increasingly sought-after by corporations around the world.

CQU this year signed a Memorandum of Understanding, pledging to support Noosa Council’s efforts to replace primary and secondary industries with more-sustainable knowledge industries.

The new CQU Bachelor of Creative Enterprises offering allows students to dip into offerings from a number of different faculties and to gain credit for entrepreneurial work in industry.

CQU’s Professor Richard Smith said the University had led the way with learning management degrees and was now staying ahead of the pack by recognising the changing employment landscape.

“The BCE gives students the chance to specialise in cross-disciplinary studies associated with the generation, application and exploitation of creative, ingenious and imaginative knowledge.

“Graduates will be at the forefront of cultural and creative developments. They will develop flexibility in future-oriented entrepreneurial, technological and generic skills,” he said.

Professor Smith said the degree would give students a strategy and an opportunity to create a future in the creative industries for themselves.

CQU’s Bachelor of Creative Enterprise degree will be available from 2005 via CQU Noosa Hub at Pomona.

ENDS For details call (07) 5485-2986.