Over the past few decades, the field of Entrepreneurship in Education has found itself a flourishing ground, and has achieved academic legitimacy and maturity expanding its practice across borders, and among learners of all ages and backgrounds. Yet, the interpretation of what entrepreneurship in education is and how it is facilitated varies greatly across institutions and environments. Prepared as a tribute to the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Project Embedding Entrepreneurship Education (EEE), this special issue of University Industry Innovation Magazine is dedicated to exploring the diversity of the approaches and practices to embedding entrepreneurship in higher education.

During the past two years, the EEE project consortium has developed a variety of tools and instruments that can be used to promote entrepreneurial thinking and action, establish regional stakeholder networks, and foster setting up state-of-the-art entrepreneurship education curriculum at the university level. We hope that the EEE Teaching Toolkit and its individual modules, the Roadmap for Universities to Create Regional Alliances will enable the replication of these good practices in other regions in Europe.

Apart from highlighting the EEE project approach and the outcomes, this issue of the magazine introduces the work of some of the most prominent European initiatives, WEXHE, EntreAssess, ETEE, and Tomorrow’s Land. Further, the issue brings to your attention the institutional journeys of JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, and Munich Business School, as well as two Australian universities LaTrobe University and The University of Adelaide, in integrating an entrepreneurial culture and curriculum within their institutions.

To explore more of the EEE project outputs and dive into the variety of institutional practices in embedding entrepreneurship in higher education, we encourage you to access the magazine here.

From the 16th to 17th of May, the NA-DAAD hosted a Transnational Cooperation Activity (TCA) on dissemination, sustainability and impact in Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships at Wissenschaftszentrum in Bonn. The EEE project has been selected as a good practice example and was given a chance to be introduced to a high-level group of European HEI and Erasmus+ NA representatives.

In his presentation Florian Bratzke – responsible project officer at EEE Project Lead partner Univations GmbH – introduced the participants to the EEE fundamentals and intellectual outputs of the project. Those include EEE Teaching Toolkit and the Roadmap for establishing regional alliances for promoting entrepreneurship education in the region. Furthermore, he emphasized main EEE dissemination achievements such as winning La Trobe University as associated project partner, being selected for the EntreComp Into Action and involved present stakeholders into a vivid discussion on efficient impact and sustainability measures based on the successful experiences made within the EEE project.

The presentation was an integral part of a transversal workshop on entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial learning and labour market issues and was moderated by Mrs. Dijana Stilinovic of AMPEU (NA-Erasmus+ Croatia). Another highlight of the 2-day event on Bonn was the presence of Mrs. Elena Tegovska of the European Commission (DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture) who presented valuable insights on dissemination, sustainability and impact from a European policy perspective. Mrs Tunguska’s contribution as well as all other inputs of the TCA can be downloaded at the NA-DAAD: https://bit.ly/2keJtbX.

 

©all rights to images used in this article belong to DAAD 

 

 

 

Pilot testing of EEE Teaching Modules at MCI during Innolab Boot Camp

On 3rd May 2017 the MCI Innolab in cooperation with EEE project, CAST, I.E.C.E.T, and the Startup.Tirol was launched in Innsbruck, Tyrol.

During a six week Boot Camp MCI students had the possibility to work on and to bring forward their entrepreneurial ideas to the next level. With the professional support from coaches and experts from MCI, CAST, I.E.C.E.T., and Startup.Tirol eight participating student teams worked together in order to learn more about commercializing inventions, and starting up a company. All teams had been coached and mentored individually to foster their entrepreneurial ideas and visions.

The Boot Camp approach was adopted as a tool out of the Entrepreneurship Toolkit and included among others the module on Business Model Canvas. On 4th July 2017 at the end of the Innolab the teams presented their ideas and concepts during a pitching event. The best three teams had the possibility to participate in the I.E.C.T. (Institute for Entrepreneurship Cambridge-Tirol) Summer School organized by Herman Hauser and his team. The I.E.C.T. international Summer School program on entrepreneurship has been held from 17th to 23rd August 2017, where a number of 27 international inventors with entrepreneurial ideas and the intention to launch a start-up have participated.

The Innolab at MCI was a first initiative in cooperation with Startup.Tirol and the EEE Regional Alliance development.

Pilot testing of EEE Teaching Modules at MCI during Innopun(s)ch workshop

On 1st December 2017 MCI and Werkstaette Wattens organized the Innopun(s)ch workshop at ‘Base EINS’, the temporary start-up hub in the center of Innsbruck. The Werkstaette Wattens is an international business and creative center for founders, start-ups, and service providers at various stages of development, focusing on technology, innovation, and the creation of regional value and sustainable growth.

During this event 20 participants with different backgrounds in entrepreneurship came together to discuss the latest topics in the field of innovation management. A special focus has been laid on interactivity and practice to not only understand, but even more to ‘feel’, ‘experience’ and ‘touch’ innovation. In this context modules from the Entrepreneurship Teaching Toolkit such as the Marshmallow Challenge and Collaboration Game have been introduced and tested.

 

©all rights on images used in this article belong to MCI