E3Train - European Entrepreneurial Educators Training Program

Funding Agency : Co-funded by the European Union

Abstract

The E3TRAIN project will create a self-assessment tool, training materials, and a networked group of 30+ multidisciplinary entrepreneurial educators and change-makers at European higher education institutions. They, in turn, will drive the development of curricula and pedagogies designed to better prepare employable and innovative students to drive social and economic sustainability in Europe. Through a range of studies, the European Commission recognizes:

• the importance of embedding entrepreneurial values across sectors and educational levels (The New European Skills Agenda, 2021; OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030,2018; Promoting Youth Entrepreneurship through education and training, 2015):
• the prominence of higher education institutions (HEIs) as a major catalyst for it (The Entrepreneurship Action Plan 2020, 2013; Renewed Agenda for Higher Education, 2017; EU Digital Education Action
  Plan, 2018);
• the ability of HEIs to stimulate an entrepreneurial evolution is twofold: a high percentage of citizens attend HEIs and, most leaders in society emerge from an HEI.

Academics play a crucial role within faculties and disciplines in leading ‘bottom-up’ change at HEIs. Having the capacity to think and act entrepreneurially, and to integrate this into daily teaching, irrespective of the discipline is vital to this transition. Being able to embed entrepreneurial skills in students, create more innovative and practical pedagogies and curricula, as well as engage with external stakeholders, results in more employable, self-sustainable, and impactful graduates. However, a number of issues exist including:

• a lack of expertise in employing innovative methods of teaching among HEIs’ academic staff across disciplines (The New European Skills Agenda, 2021; OECD Science, Technology and Industry Outlook, 2012a);
• a lack of understanding of how to design and deliver more innovative, engaging pedagogies and social and economic "market-relevant" curricula (e.g. problem-based learning) as well as better employability pathways (Farnell, 2020), - a need for academics who can introduce successful entrepreneurial education concepts and pedagogies but additionally, help develop the entrepreneurial skills of other educators and facilitate cross-disciplinary application;
• the difficulty for academics to effectively engage with the business for the purposes of education (OECD Benchmarking Higher Education System Performance: Engagement with the wider world, 2019; Reichert, 2019).

Moreover, there exists a distinct lack of CPDcourses or other support to develop these entrepreneurial educational ‘change-makers’ with no entrepreneurial and entrepreneurship education background across faculties in Europe. In addition, currently, there is a lack of replicable and cross-disciplinary entrepreneurial pedagogies for entrepreneurial skills development outside business faculties that can be easily accessed or incorporated. Furthermore, there is a limited knowledge exchange for improving higher education across faculties, universities, or European nations.

Coordinator: Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Department of Management (DiSA)

Unibo-DiSA Team Leader: Laura Toschi

Unibo-Disa Team: Rosa Grimaldi, Magalì Fia, Elisa Villani, Anna Fedorova

Other Participants:

• University Industry Innovation Network BV (Netherlands)
• Institut Mines Telecom Business School (France)
• Technische Univwrsiteit Delft (Netherlands)
• Bantani Education ( Belgium)

Total Eu Contribution: 298.291€
Start Date: 01.02.22 - End Date: 31.3.24