Researchers and academics gathered to share the latest ideas on project management at the first Regional Academic Colloquium in Philadelphia, February 3, 2012.

"How we educate future project managers and how we conduct our research into best practices needs to be grounded in reality," said Dr. Barbara Edington, Director of the Center of Excellence in Project Management, which helped plan the colloquium along with the Project Management Institute, the leading membership association for project managers.

“Collaboration between researchers is an important first step to addressing the educational issues that face all of us in the project management field,” said Barbara Edington, Director of the Center of Excellence in Project Management.

Hosted by Dr. Frank Anbari at Drexel University’s Goodwin College of Professional Studies, the colloquium included representatives from Drexel University, Temple University and West Chester University. It was just the latest in a series of events planned with the help of the Center of Excellence. In June 2011, more than 120 project management professionals and academics participated in the First Annual Practical Research Forum, held at St. Francis College.

PMI and the Center of Excellence are planning to expand these Regional Academic Colloquiums across the U.S. to “facilitate connections, not only between faculty at various schools, but also between the practice and academic communities in project management,” said Manager for Academic Resources at PMI Carla Messikomer, PhD.

Edington believes a strong connection between academics and working project managers will raise the awareness of project management as a profession and an academic discipline. “We want to encourage the next generation of project managers to continue their education,” said Edington.

The Center of Excellence in Project Management was launched in 2011 to encourage the conversation between practitioners and academics and to provide a platform for education and career development.