Embedding innovation and entrepreneurship in engineering education through curriculum development and educator training: A case from denmark

Casper Friberg, Mette Lindahl Thomassen

Publikation: Bidrag til bog/antologi/rapportKonferenceartikel i proceedingpeer review

Abstract

Challenges faced by society today, from climate change, social inequality, and health issues, calls for graduates who can contribute to create future proof solutions, graduates who are entrepreneurial and innovative in thoughts and actions. With their technical background, engineers hold key roles in developing solutions for future challenges and needs. This raises the question: How can education ensure that students graduate with entrepreneurial skills and competences, which enable them to create new value for others through action? To answer the call for innovative and entrepreneurial engineers VIA Engineering are undergoing a transformation of structure and content of all 7 engineering programs. Cornerstones in the transformation are a keen focus on Sustainability, Digitization, Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Problem Based Learning. VIA Engineering is based in Denmark with approx. 1.150 students and 80 teachers split on 7 programs. The programs are Machine, Material, Civil, Manufacturing, Global Business, Supply and Software. The planning of the restructuring started in 2019 and is effective from Summer 2021. This contribution will present the work done in relation to Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Inspired by Handscombe et al. (2009), who found that the most effective way of fostering Enterprising graduates in Engineering is by embedding entrepreneurial learning activities throughout the education in existing curricular, this contribution focuses on how this embedment can be operationalized and achieved. The contribution suggest a framework for progression in learning objectives at Engineering programs and an outline for developing competencies for educators to embed the new learning objectives. In extension, a shortlist of potential challenges/barriers is presented. Why is this interesting? There is an abundant number of arguments for including innovation & entrepreneurship in higher education. Yet challenges remain in relation to embedding innovation & entrepreneurship into entire educations in practice. The contribution present a contextualized attempt of doing so and condense general takeaways from the process.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TitelProceedings of the 16th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, ECIE 2021
RedaktørerFlorinda Matos, Maria de Fátima Ferreiro, Isabel Salavisa, Álvaro Rosa
Antal sider5
ForlagAcademic Conferences and Publishing International
Publikationsdato2021
Sider1286-1290
ISBN (Trykt)9781914587153
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2021
Begivenhed16th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, ECIE 2021 - Virtual, Online
Varighed: 16 sep. 202117 sep. 2021

Konference

Konference16th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, ECIE 2021
ByVirtual, Online
Periode16/09/2117/09/21
NavnProceedings of the European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, ECIE
ISSN2049-1050

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