We believe that practice is the most important part of learning. In Futurepreneurs’18 we promoted our entrepreneurship trainings to universities and colleges all across Lithuania. Our sponsors Lietuvos energija, Luminor Lietuva (Luminor Lietuva) and Western Union established prizes not only for the best teams, but for the most helpful lecturers, too.
Winners – “Edtech team” & “Farmbridge” – each nominated a lecturer who helped them the most. We asked Dovilė Kurpytė (nominated by “Edtech team”) and Renata Domeikaitė (nominated by “Farmbridge”), why they chose to integrate Futurepreneurs into their lectures.
Dovilė Kurpytė, lecturer at Vilnius Gedimnas Technical University
I encourage students to participate in the Futurepreneurs program because this is a great opportunity to acquire new skills that can be adapted later for further studying, as well as for developing or implementing their ideas in practice. This may not only be an excellent alternative to laboratory work, practice or workshops, but also a starting point for a new business! At the same time students see as theoretical knowledge can be taken into practice, become acquainted with the concepts of sustainable business, and gain knowledge based on trends of 2018. Undoubtedly, having tested a new area, students can check whether the entrepreneurship is for them.
As I teach the subject of Electronic Business Systems, my students have the opportunity to choose either go to the lab and write a report or participate in the Futurepreneurs program. I am delighted and proud that my students participated in this program, and not only participated, but also the team “Edtech team” won in the category of Social Innovation. The student from the winning team received a maximum score for the whole subject! I believe that Futurepreneurs program is a great place to grow your own horizons, test your entrepreneur’s path, and eventually meet a lot of interesting future partners.
Renata Domeikaitė, lecturer at Vilnius University Business School
I have included participation in the Futurepreneurs project in my program “Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics”. Students were able to choose either to participate in the program or write an analysis of the chosen social business and make recommendations. The project is perfectly suited: the theme of sustainable business, the implementation of sustainable development goals is part of the program, the international student group has the opportunity to participate in the project, as it is in English, business students can test their ideas in practice.
In my opinion, the Futurepreneurs programme provides invaluable practical benefits and experiences that are very much needed for students. During the lectures we talked about both socially responsible and the social business from the theoretical side and during the visit, we saw how it works in practice. However, participation in the program brings students to one more level – an opportunity to test everything for themselves and without high risk. This is a great opportunity to try to implement a business idea that not only has a potential to generate profits but also solves environmental and social problems and contributes to the implementation of the SDGs. In my opinion, the high value of the program is also interdisciplinary cooperation, in which students of different fields and even nationalities unite forces and present a joint project. In this way you can use the knowledge of different areas, international experience and create many more interesting, more relevant solutions.
While studying I myself participated in business acceleration programs both in Lithuania and abroad, I know well how much knowledge these programs provide. What I learned, I really used to practice social business. I sincerely recommended that students try their hand at this project.