Creating-entrepreneurial-mindset

Methodology of enterpreneurship teaching in tertiary education – experiences of the Faculty of Economics …open. Shall we focus more on teaching the entrepreneurial way of thinking and entrepreneurialactivity (entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviours), or rather on setting upand running a company (a traditional approach relating entrepreneurship to the smallbusiness sector) or on operating in an environment of high technology and modernorganisational solutions (an approach oriented towards the promotion of the initiatorsof innovative projects)?The purpose of the chapter is an overview of the available methods and techniquesof teaching entrepreneurship at the academic level, as well as the presentation of themethodology of the work with students within the framework of the Entrepreneurshipcourse at the Faculty of Management and Economics of the Gdańsk University ofTechnology.2. Teaching of entrepreneurship at the academic levelBoth in the United States of America and in Europe an increased activity of politicians,academia and business representatives aimed at including entrepreneurial trainingprogrammes in the college and university curricula could be observed in the recentyears.In the United States the process of introducing entrepreneurial training at collegesand universities started in the seventies of the 20th century. It is estimated that currentlymore than 80% of all U.S. colleges and universities implement such programmes.According to the report of U.S. Department of Commerce, “American universities arefocused on the pedagogical value of entrepreneurship as a set of skills that can be appliedacross professional environments and activities to supplement the students’ classroomexperience. Universities are investing both in formal programs as well as in extra-curricularactivities to channel students’ interest in solving global problems throughentrepreneurship” (2013. The Innovative and Entrepreneurial University).Table 1. Programmes supporting entrepreneurial behaviour among students of selected U.S. universitiesThe University of ColoradoSystem’s Innovation andEntrepreneur DegreeThe University of Illinois’Patent ClinicWashington University in St.Louis’ student internshipprogramOffers a Bachelor’s degree in Innovation (B.I.), through a unique multidisciplinaryteam and course work approach.Provides law students the opportunity to draftpatent applications for student inventors.Offers 25 paid internships per summer for students to work in start-ups.Raised and provided $1.2 million in cash and in-kind services for its businessRice Universityplan contest in 2011. This money has served as a de-facto angel round offunding for the recipient companies.Hosts a multi-level business plan competition comprising of different competitionsthroughout the school year, in combination with seminars, coursesUniversity of Washingtonand mentorship to assist in pushing student ideas to the next level.“INSPIREation” Hall – Is the nation’s first entrepreneurship-based academicresidential community — encouraging student interaction with fellow students,leading researchers, distinguished faculty, business professionals, andUniversity of Floridaentrepreneurs.Source: (2013. The Innovative and Entrepreneurial University, p. 9).22