Unconventional learning processes are also possible. The sub-project "Summer School – International Founders Week" supports students in developing entrepreneurial thinking and implementing it. Students also learn how to use practical methods apart from the syllabus and find solutions for regional problems.
Published on 2 August 2023
Promoting the start-up culture at THWS and having a positive effect on the region: These are the aims of the project EntrepreneurSHIP@THWS, that is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) in the programme EXIST-Potentiale. Through various low-threshold offers and individual advice, the project sensitises and qualifies students on the topic of entrepreneurship. According to project co-founder Monika Waschik, who os entrepreneurship advirsor in the team EntrepreneurSHIP at the Campus for Applied Research (CAF), one of the central offers was the summer school because students could develop practical knowledge there, and also get the opportunity to to develop start-up concepts and test their feasibility.
"Summer School – International Founders Week"
The English format, implemented in summer 2023 as the International Founders Week, aims to promote the start-up culture at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, and thus positively influence the region. Through various other low-threshold offers like meet-ups, idea workshops, the general electives gründen@thws and 5-EURO-Startup, the students develop knowledge and abilities all around entrepreneurship. The project still advises and supports students after graduation, for example when applying for EXIST funding.
Students during their semester abroad, or students of TWIN programmes participated in the summer school. "The summer school was conducted at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, particularly in the degree programme 'International Management'. Guest students also participated in this", says Professor Dr. Rainer Werner from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. He added that the summer school was organised as a sub-project of the specialisation 'Entrepreneurship', and that every student from his course had made use of the offer.
Regional topics
The summer school takes place as part of a one-week course. In this period, various practice-oriented formats are offered that support participants to develop practical competences in different areas, including development of ideas, using of research findings, financing, and legal aspects. Participants' potential start-up ideas are conceptualised and evaluated regarding their feasibility.
In summer 2023, special emphasis was placed on ideas and solutions for regional problems. The students were supervised for the entire programme by the coaching team of Chantal Ebelsheiser and Andreas Putlitz. According to Ebelsheiser, this cycle's focus was on problematic topics from Würzburg, like the lacking public drinking water supply in the city that is growing hotter and hotter, or the lack of student housing. The problems and the efforts to solve them would also be relevant to local students and those spending their semester abroad in Würzburg. "This project shows that you can take this way of thinking home with you", says Anna Körösi, a Hungarian student completing her double degree in International Management at THWS.
Unconventional learning process for start-up concepts
The format of the summer school is adapted to participants' needs. It generally consists of a combination of expert impulses, seminars, discussions, practical exercises, and interactive activities. Ebelsheiser calls it an "unconventional learning process", that summarises all phases of a start-up, that could actually take several months, in one step.
"It is like a mini-incubator that students can use to test their ideas", she says. Ebelsheiser also points out that working with professional coaches from the area of Würzburg-Schweinfurt enabled students to establish a regional bond. During the work sessions, students also receive advice from experienced lecturers to hone their ideas and plans. At the end of the summer school, there is a pitch competition, in which the participants present their business ideas and receive feedback from the coaching team and other participants.
"As different as students are in their personalities, so is their problem awareness given a certain challenge", Monika Waschik says. The participants' diversity is used as a valuable asset because different disciplines and approaches contributed to the development of more innovative business models, and the promotion of personal skills like teamwork, communication skills, tolerance, and the ability to compromise. "What was surprising about wanting to found a business together with others was that you are too focused on your own idea instead of getting other people's opinions. This is what I had to learn here", says Kayra Aka, student in the bachelor's programme in Business Administration.
Entrepreneurship projects for a sustainable society
Entrepreneurship projects like the summer school raise awareness for problems of a forward-looking, sustainable, and socially just society. At the same time, they also aim to develop sustainable business models and solutions to ecological problems by addressing recycling, renewable energies, and green technologies, among others. These projects also promote collaboration and networking between various actors like companies, investor and mentor networks, as well as city and municipalities, which leads to the creation of community initiatives supporting social justice and sustainability.
Another important benefit of entrepreneurship projects is the promotion of education and knowledge. Start-ups are thus perceived as tangible career options. These projects offer a platform to exchange knowledge and education, to increase the awareness of social and ecological challenges. and to promote understanding of sustainable business ideas
While the project is currently scheduled to end in June 2024 and current plans are restricted to the limited period, the importance of entrepreneurship projects for the promotion of a forward-looking, sustainable, and socially just society remains. These projects are a catalyst for positive changes, as Waschik puts it: "They strengthen the community in a future-oriented way by supporting solutions to social and ecological challenges."
