The rationale of this course is to provide students with the confidence and competence to plan businesses aimed at solving social and environmental issues.
The course is implemented in partnership by 4 universities also known as BOVA University Network Members - Estonian University of Life Sciences (Estonia), Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (Latvia), Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (Lithuania) and University of Helsinki (Finland).
This practice is innovative as it includes international and local (regional) dimension in social entrepreneurship and also comprehensive knowledge and practice in social entrepreneurship field. As this course contains both practical and theoretical elements students spend a significant amount of time in international group workshops and assignments preparing and designing a social enterprise business plan. Students learn from involved experts from different regions on how to start a business that helps to solve social and environmental problems in everyday environment, they get to know practical experience from social and community enterprises in Baltic States. Also, students get to know social enterprise business models, marketing strategies, financing models for social enterprise and how to measure social impact of social enterprise, as well as how to create ideas for social business by using creative thinking methods. As a result, in international groups, they prepare social business plans that can be later implemented in real life. During the business plan writing process they receive consultations (mentoring) from international experts.
Resources needed
The course is free for students from BOVA network universities. The funding from BOVA partnership: EUR 1000 (for course). In 2020, when implementing the course, there were 7 social entrepreneurship experts involved – lecturers from Latvia (2), Estonia (2), Finland (2), and Lithuania (1).
Evidence of success
Cross-border learning and knowledge transfer on social entrepreneurship between cross-border regions - mainly Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland. However, students were from different countries, including India, Uzbekistan, Denmark, Norway, Italy etc. (30 participants for both years). As a result, 10 innovative social business plans were set up (in 2019 and 2020 in total). E-learning materials provided from experts of the Baltic States for participants for free.
Difficulties encountered
Students had to manage their daily works and lectures and at the same time participate in the BOVA course, however, the online course provided an opportunity for students from different countries to participate without travelling. The course is very intense as it is organized within one week.
Potential for learning or transfer
Students and practitioners from different disciplines across the Baltic States learn from each other to develop entrepreneurial skills and social awareness for a sustainable, local impact. Students from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Denmark have taken part in this course. The course empowers future social entrepreneurs through an interdisciplinary, problem-based learning environment that enhances the innovative competencies needed for addressing social, cultural and environmental challenges in the Baltic States. Students get experience from various stakeholders in social entrepreneurship – university teachers, as well as from social entrepreneurs in the Baltic States. This practice / course can be implemented in other regions, including project BRESE partner regions, because the course programme is flexible and easily customizable, it involves general information about social entrepreneurship that can be useful for potential social entrepreneurs in other regions.
Tags: Business, Education, Entrepreneurship, Planning, Social
