Social Innovation for Local Indian and Israeli Communities and graduate Entrepreneurs Erasmus Project

Project Title

Social Innovation for Local Indian and Israeli Communities and graduate Entrepreneurs

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Capacity Building in higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics:

Project Summary

In recent decades, social economy has been making a significant contribution to employment creation, sustainable growth and a more egalitarian income and wealth distribution. HEIs have a role to play in providing educational content aimed at strengthening social entrepreneurial capacity in their countries. SILICE created a systemic approach that incorporates social entrepreneurship modules within study programs at IL and IN. The HEIs have a positive impact on the above-mentioned issues through innovative methods of teaching and problem-based learning. SILICE also tackles cross-cutting issues like gender balance and equal opportunities for women and promotes connectivity between HIEs and their surrounding regions to develop entrepreneurship and employment. The means was the establishment of SINNOLABs – educational innovation centers for the development of business and creative thinking and search for solutions for social and environmental problems. 9 hubs were established as part of the project: 5 in IL and 4 in IN. The hubs were modeled on the best practice shared by the European partners. The hubs are located inside the academic campuses, but they also serve the residents in neighboring communities. The hubs are operated by senior faculty members in the academic institutions – which guarantee their long-term survival. During the first half of the project – the first 18 months – the teams focused mainly on learning and developing knowledge concerning creative thinking, creative solutions to social and environmental problems, project creation and organization and partners’ recruitment. The second half of the project focused on establishing the SINNOLABs and operating them, as well as intensifying the regional connections with local and national institutions that can guarantee the project’s sustainability. Hence, connections were formed with additional hubs, the public sector, banks and financial companies for regional development. The SINNOLAB management in each institution formed connections with various stakeholders such as government agencies, regional municipalities and NGOs. By doing so, the hubs intensified the partnership of academic institutions with their surroundings, strengthened, and broadened their positions inside the HIEs. Contracts were signed to ensure long-term collaboration between the institutions themselves and stakeholders. SILICE’s significant contributions are: 1. Educational – the HIEs understood the meaning of introducing motives of creative thinking, innovation and entrepreneurship and creative problem solving as a method that can develop the students and help them become socially engaged financially independent citizens. These elements were introduced to the curricula of all students; 2. Promoting underprivileged populations – unemployed, rural populations, minorities, undereducated women, and helping them to adopt thinking patterns and practical tools that can increase their household income and support their financial and social mobilization; by creating social projects with the potential of becoming successful business owners and offering jobs for them and for others; 3. The project served as a focal point for all social innovation and business entrepreneurship in each HEI. The digital platform established by the partners is an open source database that offers syllabi, lesson plans and trainings, as well as presentations that were developed over the duration of the project. Each HEI brought its own experts and we created a pool of experts who are waiting to be approached by students and the public. This database is used by all partners and is open to other HEIs and the public. By this, SILICE contributes to the spreading of the knowledge, methods and tools that were developed in the project. This platform is currently used in HEIs across IL, IN and Europe, and these networks will allow the website to remain relevant after the project ends.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 999940 Eur

Project Coordinator

TEL-HAI ACADEMIC COLLEGE & Country: IL

Project Partners

• MKHLLT SAKHNIN
• THE SAVITRIBAI PHULE PUNE UNIVERSITY
• UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
• EDULAB EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE PRIVATE LIMITED
• LOKMANYA TILAK JANKALYAN SHIKSHAN SANSTHA NAGPUR
• DATTA MEGHE INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, NAGPUR
• TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT BERLIN