Innovation and entrepreneurship skills are becoming a more important issue each year. But whatever approach universities take these topics are quite challenging to teach, and also difficult to research. Courses and modules on these subjects are often quite theoretical and often they neither deliver the practical knowhow required nor do they inspire our students to become innovators or entrepreneurs. That's why the ECIE awards the good work that is being done in this field in various parts of the world and highlights such initiatives in this annual competition.
On 16 September 2022 the jury awarded the first prize to the entreTime train-the-trainer programme for its new ideas and new approaches for teaching innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education institutions at the 17th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Cyprus.
entreTime is an initiative funded by the European Commission to deploy a comprehensive training package for further developing the skills of educators within higher education institutions. “Teaching through entrepreneurship” is the philosophy of its education offer: a unique academic platform for learning entrepreneurial teaching and practicing co-creation outside the traditional business departments. The core of entreTime is the train the-trainer programme that includes:
- a modular, interactive, blended learning “stop and go” path based on the latest methods/tools
- coaching by acknowledged/experienced entrepreneurship trainers
- a support system to develop your entrepreneurship teaching approach
Part of the training program were HTA professors from the HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences. Sven Sterzenbach, HTA professor at Faculty 14 at the HM, says of the program:
"The entreTime program provides excellent insight into leading methods of entrepreneurship education. At the same time, it highlights the importance of developing the right mindset for both teachers and students. The international and interdisciplinary group made participating in the program a unique experience."
The entreTime online courses are freely accessible at: www.entretime.eu