Minor: New Economic Thinking and Social Entrepreneurship

01 Sep, 2021 - 30 Nov, 2021

 
Are you curious about how economics and entrepreneurship can be a solution to global challenges?  DRIFT, Impact Centre Erasmus (ICE) and the Economic Faculty Association Rotterdam (EFR) jointly offer the minor New Economic Thinking & Social Entrepreneurship. The minor allows Erasmus students to explore new economic futures by critically engaging with innovative entrepreneurs and following academic debates of socio- economic transitions.

Even though more and more companies acknowledge their responsibility to contribute to global issues like climate change, poverty and resource scarcity, they often struggle to develop alternative business models and value propositions that help to guide and accelerate transitions to a sustainable economy and society. Hence, in this minor, we focus on understanding transitions and the role traditional and transformative businesses can play in these long term change processes of economies, sectors and societies.

As part of the Minor we will address these points:

• We will provide students with an overview of research on sustainability transition theory, social entrepreneurship, new business models and new value propositions from an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspective, combining insights from economics, management and transition studies.
• We will support students to become familiar with alternative business models, and ways how businesses change and innovate in response to societal transitions.
• We will support students to better understand how societal change occurs and to map sustainability transition dynamics.
• Business challenges and opportunities of diffusing such innovative business models will be discussed from an academic and practitioners’ perspective including financing, management and governance lenses.
• Attention will be paid to the value proposition of impact thinking and impact measurement.
• Students will work in groups on an empirical study in which they will apply their new academic knowledge and insights on a practical case (i.e. carrying out a consultancy project to develop a business advice in collaboration with a social enterprise). At the end of the course, each group of students will pitch their ideas and suggestions to entrepreneurs and representatives from business during a “Dragon’s Den” event. Are you interested to participate as an enterprise? Sign up before 5 July 2021.
  

 
Unique Characteristics
If you want to participate in this minor, we expect you to be open minded, curious and – at times – provocative and interested in solving the grand challenges society is facing. You will engage in critical debates and be able to reflect critically upon offered theories. Multidisciplinary perspectives, applied research and problem oriented learning approaches have your interest. As this minor is delivered in English, you need to have a sufficient command of the English language in speech and writing to actively participate in class. We strongly encourage students from diverse disciplines to apply.
 
For more information and a detailed description of each module please visit this webpage or contact Giorgia Silvestri.