Network Roundtables
In the afternoon of the Network launch, we broke into two groups – one focussing on a train the trainers programme for the network, the other focussing on how collaboration can improve the state of enterprise education in both China and the UK as a long-term activity – I joined the latter.
We first focussed on the issue of financing initiatives – a key issue for practitioners in both countries. We considered whether it was appropriate to seek funding through increased student fees (to cover initiatives such as international student projects), whether national governments might provide developmental funding, and whether it would be appropriate to contact UK companies developing activities in China, and vice versa.
Discussion moved onto the variety of focuses for enterprise education, such as that ‘for’ entrepreneurs (or assisting those ‘becoming’ entrepreneurs) or that ‘about’ enterprise education. While some delegates felt it was important to have a good grounding in entrepreneurship theory before teaching it, others felt that entrepreneurship could never be fully understood, and that it was much more important to be entrepreneurial and get on and do it.
Finally we considered research collaboration potential. It was argued that a key focus for research collaborations through the network should be enterprise education. Ideas were mooted about developing a research foundation to map what is happening in Chinese and UK institutions, and illustrating these methods though the Network website. An example was also given of an international enterprise course where research opportunities exist to identify what students understand by enterprise and how they approach it across different countries.
Latest Entries
Reflections by Stephen Brown
Main highlights from the afternoon session of WUN
Main highlights from the morning session of WUN
...more reflections on the launch.
Reflections from the afternoon of the network launch
Reflections from the morning of the Network Launch
The China-UK Entrepreneurship Educators Network has been launched!
Some reflections on arriving in Hangzhou, China
Launch of the China-UK Entrepreneurship Educators Network