GUELPH, ON, Sept. 16 /CNW/ - The University of Guelph and The Co-operators today launched a new centre dedicated to preparing a new generation of business leaders committed to community engagement and sustainability. The Co-operators Centre for Business and Social Entrepreneurship will be supported over the next five years by a $400,000 gift from the Guelph-based insurance and financial services organization. More…
Yesterday, I had two wonderful and very informative phone calls with some leaders in the field of social entrepreneurship education.
The first call was with the Canadian Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Alberta School of Business. The second call was with the Social Enterprise Program at Columbia Business School.
A common theme in both conversations was the need for more research in the field of social entrepreneurship education. Because it’s a relatively new area, it’s important to start building a case for support — tracking the success and longevity of program graduates. To be able to teach social entrepreneurship properly, there needs to be a strong knowledge base or a foundation of insights to develop a curriculum with a long-term view.
Academic involvement of some kind would help to bring credibility to the field; however, we should take care to prevent SEE from becoming solely theoretical. A practical component is vital, “If you really want to learn, you have to get your hands a little bit dirty.”
Interestingly, Columbia has a broad approach to SEE to cater to their diverse student body. While a primary focus is to develop the next generation of social enterprise leaders, they also aim to inspire leaders in other areas to contribute back to the sector by sitting on boards, investing or interacting at a business level. Similarly, at CCSE anyone can enrol in the course (Social Entrepreneurship & Corporate Social Responsibility) and, if they choose, use their newfound skills to launch a social venture.
Question: what kind of balance do we need between a theoretical and hands-on approach to teaching social entrepreneurship?
There has been a certain degree of change in the students of the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIM-L) who want to work for the downtrodden as well. At least, Samriddhi, a social initiative of the entrepreneur cell (e-cell) of the institute, which came into existence on Saturday, promises to do so. More…
College students are pouring onto campuses across the country. This annual ritual arrives with an important set of questions for these emerging leaders: What do you want to get out of your college experience? What kind of leader do you want to be when you graduate? What contributions do you want to make to the world around you?
The most forward-thinking of universities are not just asking the questions, they are creating programs to back them up. These schools realize we need to prepare students to take on a dizzying array of complex challenges now facing our world. More…
[Washington Times]
