
Overview
GradFUTURES invites all Princeton Ph.D. students to the Business Skills for Ph.D.s in Academia & Beyond Learning Cohort. The cohort discussions will be led by Princeton Ph.D. alumnus, Jim Scully *03 (Economics), Managing Director of Accenture Strategy and course content have been developed by faculty at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
From research and writing, to project management and problem-solving, you are acquiring many transferable skills in your Ph.D. program that can be applied in academic roles as well as within a variety of industries and job functions.
Your career--in or beyond academia--will also benefit from another set of highly transferable skills, often framed as business skills. Typically, most people associate the term “business” with the private sector. However, business skills and models are widely applied in every sector: public, private and non-profit (which includes academia.)
Business knowledge and skills will help you embark on and advance within your chosen career field. These skills include inclusive leadership, strategy and social responsibility, ethical decision-making, creating and assessing value, communications and storytelling, innovation and change management. In addition to discussions of course content, this learning cohort will develop a capstone presentation focused on the ways an organization can address some of the most pressing societal challenges.
Ten unique sessions of the Business Skills for Ph.D.s in Academia & Beyond Learning Cohort will be offered and graduate students are encouraged to attend all sessions. Princeton graduate students who attend all of the sessions, complete all pre-readings, reflection activities, and the final project will be eligible to receive a co-curricular certificate of completion and a Business Skills for PhDs badge on their LinkedIn profile.
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Learning Cohorts
GradFUTURES’ interdisciplinary learning cohorts build community among and between graduate students and reinforce each student’s graduate training while drawing on their content knowledge to inform the cohort’s investigation of the topic. As part of the cohort, students will read and discuss books, articles, and case studies. Learning cohorts typically also include at least one experiential component such as an immersive project, a site visit, conference presentation, or fellowship/internship opportunities. Interdisciplinary discussions, reflection, synthesis, community building, and immersive experiences are integral components of each learning cohort experience.
Register Here! (Signing up for one session will automatically sign you up for all sessions. Please cancel registration for any individual session you cannot attend.)
Learning Objectives
Cohort participants will learn:
- Fundamental business concepts and approaches
- Common terms used in business
- Organizational and industry structures
- Purpose and ethics, social responsibility, and public trust
- Strategy, competitive analysis, and innovation
- Inclusive and ethical leadership
- Business communications
- Applicability of PhD skills in diverse professions
- Benefits of interdisciplinary discussions, and holistic thought and perspectives
Speakers Include:
Jim is a Managing Director in Accenture Strategy and the Lead for Accenture's North America Strategy and Consulting Development Programs. Jim is based out of the New York City office and within Accenture Strategy is focused on Consumer Goods and Services. Jim has worked with clients to develop corporate and business unit strategies, establish…
As the inaugural Associate Dean and Director, Eva provides strategic vision and leads the Graduate School's priority to make professional development an intrinsic and transformative part of graduate education at Princeton. She and her team spearheaded the GradFUTURES® campus-wide initiative to provide a comprehensive model of…
Dr. Sonali Majumdar joined the GradFUTURES team in May of 2022 as Assistant Dean for Professional Development. In addition to developing programs and building partnerships to benefit all graduate students, Sonali will serve as the primary liaison for graduate students and faculty in the natural sciences and engineering divisions.
…Shirley M. Tilghman was elected Princeton University’s 19th president on May 5, 2001 after serving on the Princeton faculty for 15 years. Upon the completion of her term in June of 2013, she returned to the faculty. During her scientific career as a mammalian developmental geneticist, she studied the way in which genes are organized in…
Matt Johnson is a speaker, researcher, and writer specializing in the application of psychology and neuroscience to marketing. Following his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Princeton University, his work has explored the science behind brand loyalty, experiential marketing, and consumer decision-making. He is the author of the best-selling…
I am a: Princeton Faculty Member
Organization/Affiliation: Princeton University
Title/Role: Director, Princeton Faith & Work Initiative; Senior Professional Specialist; Ethicist
Short Bio: David brings an unusual “bilingual” perspective to the…
Roshni Raveendhran is an assistant professor of business administration in the Leadership and Organizational Behavior area at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. She is also a Faculty Fellow affiliated with the Batten Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Roshni received her Ph.D. in business administration …
Princeton University Graduate School Announces Business Skills Program for Ph.D. Students in Partnership with UVA’s Darden School of Business
June 7, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Princeton University Graduate School Announces Business Skills Program for Ph.D. Students in Partnership with UVA’s Darden School of Business
June 7, 2022– Princeton University
“Princeton graduate students are creating innovation across a diverse array of fields in ways that expand knowledge, accelerate discovery and serve humanity. The Graduate School’s GradFUTURES initiative is committed to preparing graduate students with the professional skills, business acumen, and leadership competencies they need to have a broad impact on society’s most pressing challenges– now and in the future.”
– Rodney Priestley, Dean of the Graduate School, Princeton University
Princeton University’s Graduate School and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business are launching a partnership to ensure that Princeton’s graduate students gain the business acumen and skills needed to succeed in a wide range of future professions. This summer, the GradFUTURES® professional development initiative will offer a Business Skills for Ph.D.s in Academia & Beyond Learning Cohort in a first-of-its-kind academic and alumni partnership designed especially for Princeton graduate students.
The GradFUTURES professional development initiative at the Graduate School prepares graduate students with the competencies, connections, clarity, and confidence they need to thrive at Princeton and wherever their lives after graduation may take them. A robust ecosystem of campus partners, faculty, graduate alumni mentors, academic and industry partners, and graduate student leaders empowers graduate student futures through a broad spectrum of skills training, mentorship, bespoke experiential opportunities, and interdisciplinary learning. Among the most popular program offerings are the GradFUTURES Interdisciplinary Learning Cohorts. Each cohort brings graduate students together with
alumni, faculty, post-docs, and industry experts to explore diverse professional pathways and societal, industry, or global trends. GradFUTURES’ interdisciplinary learning cohorts build community among graduate students and reinforce each student’s graduate training and previous experiences to inform the cohort’s investigation of the topic. Graduate students in the cohorts read and discuss books, articles, and case studies and engage in reflection, group projects, and immersive experiences while building professional skills and knowledge together.
“We are delighted to launch our newest learning cohort focused on business skills and this unique partnership with our graduate alumni and a well-respected business school such as Darden. Typically, most people associate the term ‘business’ with the private sector. However, business skills are essential to career progression in every sector –including academia. Labor market trends and feedback from Princeton graduate alumni indicate that acquiring critical business skills and knowledge widens the aperture of opportunity for all Ph.D.s. across all fields.” – Eva Kubu, Associate Dean for Professional Development and Director of GradFUTURES at Princeton University
With course content developed by faculty at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, this learning cohort will explore case studies from academia, government, nonprofit and for-profit organizations using a “business and society” approach to understand how individuals and organizations create socially responsible business practices and social impact. Among the skills and topics addressed by the cohort are strategy development, inclusive leadership, ethical decision-making, building and assessing value, communications and storytelling, innovation, and change management. As part of the partnership, the Darden School of Business will provide Princeton’s Graduate School with sample facilitator guides and access to case studies, recommended readings, and videos available on Princeton’s Canvas learning management system.
“Darden is pleased to leverage our faculty’s expertise in creating meaningful educational experiences for all learners. This partnership allows us to leverage the experience we gained in working with UVA’s doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars. Darden is committed to sharing our teaching materials through Darden Business Publishing which makes this partnership a natural fit.” – Maureen Wellen, Executive Director, Faculty Advancement, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia
Sonali Majumdar, Princeton’s assistant dean for professional development, will moderate the learning cohort, having managed a similar course for the Ph.D. Plus program at UVA prior to joining the GradFUTURES team at the Graduate School in May of 2022. Kubu said, “Sonali began her new role and immediately helped us establish the partnership with Darden. She has extensive experience designing skill-based learning programs for Ph.D.s and building academic and industry partnerships.”
Members of Princeton University’s graduate alumni community serve an integral role in the Graduate School’s GradFUTURES professional development programming, serving as speakers, panelists, and mentors for current graduate students. In addition to moderator Sonali Majumdar, the primary facilitator for the inaugural Business Skills in Academia & Beyond Learning Cohort discussions will be Princeton graduate alumnus Jim Scully, who earned a Ph.D. in Economics in 2003 and has extensive experience as a strategy consultant. Jim is a Managing Director in Accenture Strategy and the Lead for Accenture's North America Development Programs. Jim is based out of the New York City office, and within Accenture
Strategy is focused on Consumer Goods and Services. Jim has worked with clients to develop corporate and business unit strategies, establish and execute commercial and operational initiatives, and identify key competencies, resources, and criteria necessary to ensure sustainable, measurable impact. He also has experience in M&A/L&A strategy, divestiture strategy, due diligence, and competitive intelligence.
“Ph.D.s become experts in one specific discipline and analyze problems through that lens. Understanding business skills and frameworks will not only broaden their thinking but can also broaden their professional horizons.” – Jim Scully, Managing Director in Accenture Strategy
Over the years, Jim Scully has been a featured speaker at many professional development programs at Princeton and frequently shares his insights, advice, and expertise with current graduate students. In his presentations and talks, Jim focuses on helping graduate students gain a greater understanding of career options for Ph.D.s and the skills and competencies needed to provide onramps to opportunities in diverse industries. In April of this year, he presented Be a Business Savvy Ph.D.: Skills Ph.D.s need in the Academy and Beyond at the GradFUTURES Forum, an annual conference hosted by the Graduate School, which attracts more than 3,600 participants from the Princeton graduate community as well as graduate institutions throughout the U.S. and abroad.
Plans also include inviting Princeton faculty, administrators, and other graduate alumni to serve as guest speakers throughout the summer. For example, David Miller, director of Princeton’s Faith & Work Initiative, will lead a session on basic ethical theories and developing practical tools for personal and applied ethics in any organizational setting, including academia, business, entrepreneurship, and broader marketplace contexts. David brings an unusual “bilingual” perspective to the classroom and the boardroom. Before receiving his Ph.D. in ethics and joining the faculty at Princeton University, he spent 16 years in senior executive positions in international business and finance, including eight years in London.
The Business Skills for Ph.D.s in Academia & Beyond Learning Cohort at Princeton University’s Graduate School will begin June 9 and continue through August 25. Ten unique sessions will be offered, and graduate students are encouraged to attend all sessions. Princeton graduate students will be eligible to receive a co-curricular certificate of completion and a Business Skills for Ph.D.s badge on LinkedIn. For more information, please visit the "Business Skills for Ph.D.s in Academia and Beyond" page on the GradFUTURES website.
For media inquiries, contact:
Princeton University Office of Communications Mike Hotchkiss
Director of Media Relations 609-258-9522