Dartmouth has launched the Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Dartmouth (SEID), a new interdisciplinary initiative designed to strengthen teaching, research, and experiential learning at the intersection of innovation and social impact.
Housed at the Rockefeller Center and developed in collaboration with faculty across economics, public policy, engineering, environmental studies, and the social sciences, SEID aims to equip students with the tools to address complex societal challenges through rigorous analysis, creative problem-solving, and real-world engagement.
“Dartmouth is uniquely positioned to bridge liberal arts inquiry with entrepreneurial thinking,” said Barbara Will, Vice-Provost for Academic and International Affairs. “SEID builds on existing strengths across campus while creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.”
Over the next two academic years, SEID will launch new courses related to social entrepreneurship, spark research collaborations between faculty and social innovators to deepen the rigor, relevance, and impact of scholarly work, and expand experiential learning opportunities that connect students with practitioners and alumni working in social enterprises, impact investing, international development finance, and philanthropy.
Key components of SEID’s proof-of-concept phase include:
New interdisciplinary courses hosted by the Economics Department and the Rockefeller Center as well as immersion courses with an international trip component
A network of Faculty Affiliates across departments with the goal of enhancing the quality, relevance, and societal impact of faculty scholarship in areas vital to social innovation.
Experiential learning opportunities connecting students with internships, conferences, accelerators, and career opportunities in social entrepreneurship and innovation
“Faculty increasingly want to produce scholarship on meaningful problems and they want to deepen the relevance and impact of their scholarly work,” said Andrew Samwick, Professor of Economics at Dartmouth. “That requirescross-disciplinary approaches, and SEID creates a platform for that kind of intellectual and practical engagement.”
By strengthening connections across academic units and leveraging Dartmouth’s alumni network, SEID reflects Dartmouth’s broader commitment to innovation and impact. Over the next two years, SEID will equip students with the intellectual foundation, global perspective, and practical skills necessary to engage meaningfully in the creation and advancement of socially innovative solutions and purpose-driven enterprises.