In cooperation with ImpactHub Karlsruhe, Karlshochschule International University organized a final workshop as part of the ENTREHUBS project last Thursday evening.
With almost 30 participants from Karlsruhe and the surrounding area, we were able to discuss the project results in depth and, in particular, exchange views on what content entrepreneurship education should address from an academic perspective. It became clear that our project approach of promoting more critical and sustainable thinking in entrepreneurial education had hit the mark: ‘Something is wrong with the basic principles of business education. I only learned economic models during my studies that are geared towards profit maximization. Little sustainability, no social justice, no economy for the common good,’ explained one economics graduate. It was also emphasized how important cooperation between universities and companies is for students so that they can gain insights into practice during their studies. Several participants stressed the fact that interdisciplinarity and internationality are a decisive factor for the success of entrepreneurship education for them. Several entrepreneurs reiterated that they particularly welcome the introduction of a collaborative model based on a value-based creation process.
In three working groups, we discussed the challenges that entrepreneurs face: social media, self-marketing, self- and team leadership, motivating yourself and others, observation skills, etc. Together, we considered which content could be covered by (further) training programs offered by the university and which by practice partners. It became clear that the academic added value should consist of teaching not only theories and specialization, but also activity and action skills in particular, e.g. organizational methods, including ethical reflection, as well as strengthening personal skills such as positive thinking and appreciative interaction with one another. Universities should create a free space where experimentation with models, ideas and tools is possible in order to try out something ‘risky’. In addition, the participants emphasized that certificates are particularly important in connection with academic education and that more modular programs should be created instead of traditional multi-year study programs.
Thanks to the joint invitation together with the ImpactHub Karlsruhe, we were able to mix a regional network of entrepreneurs with academic staff and students and engage in a very practical discussion about the project results – and since some were still exchanging ideas at 10.30 pm, new networks were also being diligently built.
We would like to thank ImpactHub for the excellent cooperation and the European Union’s Erasmus+ program for co-financing, which makes this type of project and event possible.
