Social Entrepreneurship for Local Change Erasmus Project

Project Title

Social Entrepreneurship for Local Change

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 : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Open and distance learning; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

Social Entrepreneurship for Local Change

The objective of this strategic partnership was to develop a study module on social entrepreneurship with a scope of up to 15 ECTS. The format of delivery is lexible (both online and blended learning modes) in order to address different target groups. The project has adapted and complemented existing learning resources, both national and European, and provided new materials derived from the partners’ local contexts. In addition, experiences made during development and pilot implementation have resulted in a guidance report for teaching staff and for university boards. The project was addressed to an interdisciplinary target group of educators, students and young professionals in the fields of economics, business administration, geography, agriculture, regional development, urban/landscape planning.

Social Entrepreneurship aims for the exploitation of opportunities for social change rather than for maximum profit in the traditional sense. Social enterprises attempt to target unfulfilled social needs with (more or less) marked-based approaches, aiming for sustainable solutions (Volkman et al., 2013). Since the 1990s the approach has been gaining increased attention in practice, policy and academia. The global economic crisis in 2008 finally revealed that society is strongly in need of alternative models as the limits of public influence have become evident. Likewise, growth models are needed, that are ‘fairer, greener and anchored in local communities. A model that values social cohesion as a genuine source of collective wealth’ (Strasbourg Declaration, 2014).

Social Entrepreneurship education requires holistic and integarted approaches. But the status quo is rather that study programmes basically operate within their disciplinary limits: priority is given to the development of subject-specific competences; theory is primarily applied to disciplinary practice cases. This context makes it difficult to trigger holistic approaches for social change. Given these circumstances the purpose of this strategic partnership has been to create a new educational framework in which different disciplines would combine forces, knowledge and skills to address local challenges.

The interdisciplinary and international constellation of this strategic partnership has allowed for a new approach to local change based on the combination of diverse fields of knowledge and competences. The partnership has brought the following competences together: experience in teaching social entrepreneurship (Kiel University and ASE Bucharest), delivering online seminars and e-learning pedagogy (HfWU Nürtingen-Geislingen and Kiel University), Social entrepreneurship in the context of rural development (EMU Tartu), social entrepreneurship in the context of urban transformation (Van Hall Larenstein), practicing social entrepreneurs in the form of two NGO’s (Odaia Creativa and the Estonian Social Enterprise Network).

The following activities have been carried out: (1) development of online course materials on social entrepreneurship theory, methods, tools and case studies as open educational resources including the instructional design of the blended learning course, (2) implementation of blended learning activities on the subject of social entrepreneurship in combination with local workshops organised alternately by three of the consortium partners, and (3) preparation of a guidance report for teachers interested in integrating social entrepreneurship into their courses. This report has eventually been published in two parts, one addressed to university board and academic strategy groups and the second to university teachers and curriculum designers. The project has followed the methodical approach of a pedagogical action research cycle: after a rapid development phase the course has been repeated three times. The testing has been accompanied by profound observation and evaluation and continuous improvement, finally leading to a stable and sustainable model, which is ready for dissemination and transfer.

The target groups were students and professionals seeking for additional competences in the field of social entrepreneurship. The online delivery mode has allowed for a good accessibility also for the international target audience. The second important target groups were university teachers. They have received additional training enabling them to conduct the internet-based parts of the course. Furthermore, transdisciplinary teaching methods have been applied and further developed within the framework of the teaching and learning activities, such as design thinking and business planning. All experiences gained have been documented in the guidance report for teachers.

The following impacts were expected and also achieved: increase of students’ confidence in founding a social entrepreneurship business, increase of internet-based course delivery and increased cross-institutional cooperation.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 316435 Eur

Project Coordinator

HOCHSCHULE FUER WIRTSCHAFT UND UMWELT NUERTINGEN-GEISLINGEN & Country: DE

Project Partners

• MTÜ Sotsiaalsete Ettevõtete Võrgustik
• Asociatia Odaia Creativa
• ACADEMIA DE STUDII ECONOMICE DIN BUCURESTI
• EESTI MAAULIKOOL
• CHRISTIAN-ALBRECHTS-UNIVERSITAET ZU KIEL
• Heldenrat – Beratung für soziale Bewegungen e.V.
• STICHTING VAN HALL LARENSTEIN