Program Overview

Sustainable Entrepreneurship Program

Overview

This class is designed for Bachelor students who want to understand the interrelated economic, social, and ecological challenges society is facing, and who want to acquire the knowledge and skills to re-frame problems into opportunities and establish entrepreneurial ventures tackling the problems.

Content

The course provides an introduction to the topic of sustainable entrepreneurship. Throughout the course, students will learn about the impact of sustainability on the economy, society, and the environment and gain knowledge of how entrepreneurship may constitute a powerful means to tackle such challenges.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

• Discuss the multiple, interrelated challenges our society is facing
• Explain how entrepreneurship can be used to tackle societal challenges
• Analyze entrepreneurial opportunities and their potential to address societal challenges
• Assess/Evaluate different sustainable business strategies
• Develop business models that address societal challenges

Transversal Skills

• Take responsibility for environmental impacts of her/his actions and decisions
• Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking
• Take feedback (critique) and respond in an appropriate manner
• Make an oral presentation
• Access and evaluate appropriate sources of information

Teaching Methods

The course combines insights from various theoretical approaches, including entrepreneurship, management, marketing, and psychology. The concepts from these theories are taught through interactive lectures and workshops that will allow students to come away with a strong theoretical and practical understanding of sustainable entrepreneurship across different industries.

Expected Student Activities

This is a process-based course where each session builds on concepts from the previous ones. Staying current with the coursework each week is important to ensure a solid understanding of the core concepts, which are essential for contributing effectively to the team's new venture proposal.

Assessment Methods

The grade for the course will be composed of both group and individual assignments with the following weighting:

• Group Assignment: The new sustainable venture project (overall 60%)
  • Venture ideas and their evaluation: 15%
  • Midterm business model presentation: 20%
  • Final venture project presentation: 25%
• Individual Assignment: Peer-to-peer feedback (overall 25%)
  • Venture ideas and their evaluation: 8.33%
  • Midterm business model presentation: 8.33%
  • Final venture project presentation: 8.33%
• Class participation (overall 15%)

Program Details

• Semester: Spring
• Number of places: 40
• Exam form: During the semester (summer session)
• Subject examined: Sustainable entrepreneurship
• Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
• Type: mandatory

Keywords

Sustainability, grand societal challenges, social, environmental, entrepreneurship, new venture creation, business model

Learning Prerequisites

• Required courses: None. If you have already taken the MGT-201, you cannot take this course.
• Recommended courses: None

Important Concepts to Start the Course

Sustainable entrepreneurship: The process of identifying and exploiting opportunities to bring into existence innovative products, processes, or services that aim at generating gains to individuals, the economy, society, and the planet.