The University of Coimbra launches curricular units on Entrepreneurship for 1st and 2nd cycle Programmes across its eight faculties

The University of Coimbra (UC) is advancing its curriculum innovation by offering two new Curricular Units (u.c.s) in Entrepreneurship, available across all undergraduate and postgraduate courses in its eight faculties. This initiative by the Rector's Office aims to integrate entrepreneurship and innovation into every student's academic journey, addressing the need for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach. It seeks to foster a well-rounded education that aligns with the demands of today's labour market and society.

The new curricular units, "Entrepreneurship: Developing Innovative Business Ideas" for 1st cycle students and "Entrepreneurship: Turning Ideas into Businesses" for 2nd cycle students, will be offered in a blended learning (B-Learning) format. This model combines face-to-face classes with an asynchronous online component, providing flexible access to the digital learning environment. Here, students will take ownership of the theoretical content and carry out various activities.

The new curricular units, "Entrepreneurship: developing innovative business ideas" for 1st cycle students and "Entrepreneurship: turning ideas into business" for 2nd cycle students, will be offered in a B-Learning format. The model combines face-to-face classes with an asynchronous online component, providing flexible access to the digital learning environment, where students take ownership of the theoretical content and carry out activities.

The curricular units can be integrated into any cycle of studies where the curricular structure allows the choice of a transversal u.c. from any scientific area. They can also be taken as additional training or as stand-alone units.

These curricular units were designed by a large team of UC faculty members, based on the online course "Enterpreneurship: Tuning ideas into Business", developed as part of the European HIVE Project, under the coordination of the UC, in partnership with nine European universities. developed as part of the European HIVE Project., coordinated by the UC in partnership with nine European universities. The course aims to train not only students but also teachers and technical staff in the area of entrepreneurship. Around 2,200 participants from the ten partner universities took part in various editions of the course, held between October 2023 and June 2024. Of these, 1,064 participants have completed the course.

With these curricular units, all UC students, regardless of their course, have the chance to explore and deepen their knowledge of entrepreneurship and innovation. "We want students from areas that don't yet include these topics in their curricula to be able to explore and learn how to create innovative businesses. For courses that already include these themes, we offer an opportunity to deepen knowledge through a practical approach, in multidisciplinary teams (students from different scientific fields). We aim to introduce students to the possibility of entrepreneurship as an alternative career or to apply this knowledge in a business context, emphasising the importance of innovation and (intra)entrepreneurship," explains UC Rector Amílcar Falcão.

These courses will be piloted in the 2024/2025 academic year and will be open for enrolment to all 1st and 2nd cycle students. This is an opportunity for UC students who wish to deepen their skills in entrepreneurship and innovation, key areas in the current context. With this measure, the University of Coimbra reinforces its commitment to providing well-rounded education that meets the demands of today’s labour market and society, promoting an entrepreneurial mindset across the UC academic community.

_{Translation: Diana Taborda}