Students
The Hayek Center offers a variety of interdisciplinary programs aimed at helping Clemson students harness business principles to advance societal good.
Civil Discourse Project
After a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hayek Center is proud to announce the return of the Civil Discourse Project. This year, we are partnering with student organizations to offer more focused training on rhetoric, critical listening, persuasive writing and conflict de-escalation.
The Civil Discourse Project helps Clemson students become more effective communicators by offering them the skills and training to discuss controversial topics, rather than shy away from them. Like all Hayek Center programs, the Civil Discourse Project invites students to consider how business can be used as a vector for great social change and benefits.
As a bonus to crafting and refining these communication skills, students will also have a unique and interesting experience to add to their resumes. For more information on the 2019 Civil Discourse Project, read the Clemson News article.
Hero Prize
Launched in Spring 2019, Hayek's Excellence in Research and Outreach (HERO) Program is a three-day event that helps students across Clemson's campus incorporate business principles into their community outreach and international aid projects. The program includes lectures by renowned philanthropists, business leaders and scholars, as well as small-group mentoring by graduate students. Student organizations that best incorporate business principles into their charitable projects receive HERO Prizes ranging from $2,000-$5,000.
After months of supervised preparation and research, 7 student-led groups presented their pitches regarding their respective international aid projects. The Hayek Center worked with the teams to emphasize the importance of feasibility, sustainability, and impact. The winning teams worked these themes into their presentations to demonstrate their potential high return on investment from the Hayek Center's grants.
The 1st place team presented their work on a Bloodless Malaria Detection Device for pilot use in Tanzania. The 2nd place team proposed plans for an Umbilical Cord Care Kit to reduce infant mortality in low-income countries. Thank you, and congratulations to all the participating teams!
Hayek Center's HERO program links business and international aid
Viewing a charitable project through a business lens can be the difference between success and failure.
"Often with community service and other charitable efforts, we abandon our business principles and think good intentions are enough to produce good results. They are not," said Reed Watson, director of the Hayek Center for the Business of Prosperity.
"To be successful at charity, just like in business, we need a carefully crafted strategy that reflects economic fundamentals and meets the needs of our 'customers,' the people we are trying to serve." Read the full article.
