Which are the teaching methods applied in these courses?
The Winter and Spring Schools will rely on the toolkit of Design Thinking, a user-centric approach used for practical and creative problem-solving. Instead of the teaching material or the problem it focuses on humans, seeking to understand peopleâs needs and come up with effective solutions to meet those needs.
With selected design thinking techniques, such as writing love or a break-up letter to oneâs business plans, students create transference and discover self in the project idea development process. Besides, the preparation of a personal navigation plan, translation of their progress and results to various audiences and contexts, presentation of âout-of-the-boxâ narratives in the classroom sets the scene for in-depth conversations about business foundations, cultural and social embeddedness, necessary skills and standards of doing business in the changing world of today and tomorrow.
What is the value added of the Winter/ Spring University courses compared to the two ifempower courses?
Through workshops with stakeholders and intensive knowledge sharing, 12 female students in each semester will get an insight into the entrepreneurial mindset and have the chance to build a strong international network with young women with similar interests and stakeholders with long experience in the field of entrepreneurship.
The international intensive study programs will complement the academic training held during the academic year at the home universities. They will focus on (1) practical skills on how to launch an enterprise, how to sell an idea, and attract investors, (2) will focus on gender-specific self-awareness.
In addition, during the devoted special networking sessions the young women will be able to arrange meetings with media representatives and experts from various countries and ask for professional counselling relating to their inquiries on launching and managing enterprises, with a special view on potential problems deriving from the professional and family life of women entrepreneurs.
Although Winter and Spring Schools on business and entrepreneurship can be found in the countries of the European Union, the ifempower Winter/Spring University will be unique for various reasons:
- Firstly, because its content will be evidence-based (stemming from the research results on lived experiences of entrepreneurial women and their supporting organisations in seven European countries).
- Secondly, because the Winter and Spring School will complement the courses offered at the participating higher educational institutions.
- Thirdly, the thematic days of the Spring and Winter Schools will rely on three pillars: entrepreneurship, gender studies and self-awareness, and will incorporate digitalisation strategies.
- Fourthly, students interested in entrepreneurship will not only learn theory and develop skills during the seven days of the intensive programme, but due to the parallel running multiplier event of the ifempower project, they will be able to present themselves and their entrepreneurial project ideas to representatives of the media, business partners and mompreneurs.
What else?
The Winter and Spring University provides a unique opportunity of meeting with students from different countries and specialising in various fields. Speakers of the intensive weeks will also have diverse backgrounds (list of speakers will be published), which will provide the basis for fruitful discussions, skills development and development of a broad network.
Do you have any question left? Please get in touch with the local ifempower coordinator:
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