The Master of Economic Development and Innovation (MEDI) program is generating the next generation of highly qualified economic development professionals with the academic knowledge and practical tools to enhance the capacity of the profession.
Students in this program are taught a balance of theory and practice, with a strong focus on experiential learning. This experiential learning is emphasized in their final Capstone Project, which requires collaboration with an external organization.
Applied Research Project (APR)
MEDI students can assist your organization by completing an APR to help answer a defined problem. Students wil ideally complete this project within 4-months, working closely with you through the process. Students are then required to complete a research paper discussing the research they undertook and the lessons learned in relation to published literature.
Internship
MEDI students have held internships in different sectors all over the world. The following are only a few examples of the companies that have worked with us and the responsibilities the internships entailed.
Yfactor Inc., Toronto
- Research and develop content for municipal economic development and tourism websites
- Conduct data analysis
- Participate in municipal brand development
- Research best practices in a variety of economic development strategies
- Prepare professional reports and presentations
Downtown London, Ontario
- Work with the team to attract and retain merchants and new businesses
- Foster and maintain important linkages within the business community
- Create and participate in place marketing and business outreach initiatives
Municipality of Meaford, Ontario
- Organize and mediate a public forum for strategy development
- Conduct research on best practices for economic development
- Review best practices for municipal and economic development websites
- Respond to grant and funding opportunities
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Geneva
- Prepare materials and help organize international specialist meetings on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)
- Research, draft and facilitate peer review of training modules in the UNECE PPP Toolkit, specifically related to developing a PPP business case for water supply and sustainable development issues in infrastructure development
Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Ontario
- Design and develop sustainability questionnaires to assist businesses with meeting their economic, environmental, and social objectives
- Prepare presentations to senior business advisors on sustainable development
- Create a green business database
- Conduct research and analysis of the ISO 14001 Malcolm Baldrige criteria for best corporate practice and performance excellence
- Update community profile database
- Design manuals to help senior business advisors maintain community profiles of their respective territories
Contact us
To find out how our MEDI students can help your business, please contact Heather Hall