Boise State lecturer serves as judge for global innovation conference

Christy Suciu, a lecturer in the Department of Management at Boise State University, has judged the European Conference of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for six years.

The conference is an international forum dedicated to advancing innovation and teaching excellence. Suciu has evaluated research and teaching initiatives from around the world through this role.

Her involvement began in 2019 when she and Department of Management Professor Chris Baughn submitted a paper on innovation within the College of Business and Economics. The paper was selected as one of the conference’s top 10 entries, prompting Suciu to travel to present her work.

The presentation used a visual approach, combining photographs and text to communicate the impact of innovation at Boise State. Suciu earned a place among the top three finalists. Following the conference, she was invited to return the next year as a judge.

The judging process starts in March when educators and researchers submit abstracts. Participants then move on to full research papers in June. From approximately 40 submissions, judges narrow the field to 10 finalists who are invited to present at the September conference.

Suciu cites the variety of educational approaches as a key aspect of the experience. She noted the differences in work from Kuwait, Malaysia, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, England, and the Netherlands.

“It’s exciting, because what they’re doing in Kuwait, Malaysia, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, England, Netherlands, the difference is amazing,” Suciu said.

One project from a university in Ireland involved students partnering with a correctional institution. They developed new approaches to prison reform aimed at reducing recidivism and improving outcomes for individuals returning to their communities. In Malaysia, students received funding to invest in infrastructure improvements within smaller communities. After an initial period, the investments were transferred to community members, allowing them to sustain the improvements themselves.

“These individuals are the future in their countries. They are doing amazing things,” Suciu said. “To be a judge for that is important, but mostly I like representing Boise State University on that stage.”

Suciu teaches a design thinking class at Boise State that centers on building creative confidence. Students learn to conduct empathetic research, observe, and interview to identify opportunities for improvement. By the end of the course, she hopes students feel comfortable tackling unfamiliar challenges and bringing forward new ideas in their future workplaces.

“I never thought I was creative, but I can be,” Suciu recalled from a student evaluation. “I never thought I was innovative, but my team did an amazing job, and I loved creating something new.”

The curriculum provides a pathway for students to take ideas beyond the classroom. Students may start in undergraduate classes and move to the COBE Entrepreneurship Challenge, then the Idaho Entrepreneurship Week. They continue building and refining their products through these stages. “We need to push ourselves into the unknown,” Suciu said. “That’s what we should be doing in education: teaching new creative confidence and giving students new knowledge they can take out into the world.”