Entrepreneur
Education:
It is not about theories,
it is about doing things.
Prof. Samuel van den Bergh
Definition:
Entreprendre (French) = undertake
An Entrepreneur is someone who
makes things happen and does
(creates, builds, initiates, achieves
running an enterprise or organization).
An Entrepreneur is NOT someone who
watches, observes, analyses or
describes
(after: Kirby (2006)
Entrepreneurial Mindset:
Imagination and creativity = innovator
Intuition = enabler / designer
Authority = leader
Willpower = achiever, opportunity
seeker and risk taker
(after: Lessem (1986)
Education Kills
Creativity:
Sir Ken Robinson, TED Talk 2006
Example: Divergent thinking
(essential capacity for creativity)
In preschool:
98%,
at age 8-10:
50%,
at age 13-15:
40%
Ineffective Methods
LECTURE = Acronym.
It stands for „Lengthy Endless
Continuous Torture with Unending
Repetition of Explanations.“
Theories = cognitive development
Effective Methods
Applications in real or simulated
projects = affective development
Contests, working in teams, business
games
Regional and global cooperation
Cooperation with industries, smes
Example:
Panasonic received an Award from UM for
academia-industry cooperation program: “From
Cradle to Career” this Monday, 12/12/2011
It was initiated by a former AEI student:
Ravinther Kunju Raman
The program offers every year 50 first year
students training and coaching in industry
relevant soft skills and on-the-job training. The
students are being trained until their final year.
Why?
Help students to develop
entrepreneurial mindsets
Help industries to connect to future
employees during their education
Help academics to relate to business
needs
What?
Creativity skills, especially divergent
thinking, problem solving
Communications skills, especially
persuasion, negotiation
Critical thinking and assessment skills
Leadership and social networking skills
Time management skills
after: Ray (1997)
Born or Bred?
To some, entrepreneurs are born not
bred
It probably takes a certain personality
– yet the environment can indeed
enhance entrepreneurial skills by
experiencing real life examples at
schools or at home
Ravi’s Daughters
The older one designs badges, first for
her colleagues, now also for Ravi’s
clients
The younger one runs a business by
selling her father’s colored paper to
friends
The Swiss System
Universities and Universities of Applied
Sciences
CTI: Commission for Technology and
Innovation
CTI
•
CTI helps to optimize knowledge and
technology transfer through the use of
thematic and regional networks and
platforms.
CTI
CTI lends support to:
•
Market-oriented R&D projects.
Sponsers: 50% government and 50%
industries.
•
Creation and development of start-up
companies;
•
Knowledge and technology transfer.
Thank you for your
attention!
Prof. Samuel van den Bergh
vsam@zhaw.ch
Literature:
•
Kirby, David A. (2006), Entrepreneurship education: can business
schools meet the challenge? International Entrepreneurship Education.
Issues and Newness. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 35 – 54.
•
Lessem, R. (1986), Entreprise Development, Aldershot: Gower.
•
Ray, D.M. (1997), „Teaching entrepreneurship in Asia: impact of a
pedagogical innovation“, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Change, 6(3),
193-227.
•
Robinson, Sir Ken , TED Talks 2006
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.htm
•
CTI, (Swiss) Commission for Technology and Innovation
http://www.kti.admin.ch/index.html?lang=en