Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Saxion University of Applied Sciences from Enschede, The Netherlands and Herzen State Pedagogical University from St. Petersburg, Russian Federation organized a so-called Autumn Business School, in which students from both institutions worked together. This Autumn Business School was an experiment to try to increase the effectiveness of Entrepreneurship education at both institutions. This presentation consist of a description of the Autumn Business School and some of the outcomes of the research among the participants of this event. This presentation was held at the annual scientific-practice conference at the Kaunas University of Applied Sciences in Lithuania.
Citation preview
Experiment in Entrepreneurship educationHerzen State Pedagogical University, Saxion University of Applied Sciences
“Opening the Russian Market”
Irina PetrovaJacques Bazen
http://schoolmanag.herzen.spb.ru
Autumn Business School
• 2013 was the Dutch – Russian bilateral year• Saxion, several companies and NGOs from the
Eastern part of the Netherlands decided to participate in the events.
• Herzen State Pedagogical University also decided to join the events
Autumn Business School
In the discussions around the bilateral year, the idea for the Autumn Business School was born: Herzen State Pedagogical University and Saxion students working together would help a Dutch company to become active in Russia.
Autumn Business School
• Both universities decided this Autumn Business School event was a very interesting opportunity for an experiment:
• “International Project Management” in practice and with Russia, with students from two universities working together
• Great opportunity to measure the learning effectiveness of such a practical international program in comparison with the normal, more theoretical module which all other students were taking.
Parties involved
Universities
RGPU, St. PetersburgEnschede
Other partners
City of Enschede
WTCHistory museumNL – RU relations
1st City Business Incubator
Consonant Yacht building
Business & Science park
Autumn Business School
Involvement of the universities, business and the government made this Autumn Business School an example of Triple Helix cooperation.
Companies
GovernmentKnowledge Institutes
Triple Helix, according to Etzkowitz & Leyesdorf
Autumn Business School
• How to make it work: Subdivision of the participants in smaller groups (mixed nationalities) to carry out (parts of) the research.
• Dutch students knew about the company and Dutch market/culture
• Russian students knew the language and culture.
• In other words: they needed each other
Matel Metaal
Company Matel Metaal Vriezenveen, Netherlands provided the main assignment for the students
Matel Metaal products
High quality stairs and railings, as well as balcony fences
The school was held in two stages:
Stage 1 - October 2013 in Saint-Petersburg 1. Dutch students visit the company in NL2. All students meet in SPb and did research + an educational and cultural program for participants;Stage 2 - December 2013 in the NetherlandsEvents at Saxion: An educational and cultural program, and research results were presented to the entrepreneur Jan Matel
1st stage: Program at Herzen University in SPb
Visit to the 1st City Business Incubator in SPb
Learning about business start-ups and support in St. Petersburg.
Visit to the Dutch Consulate in SPb
Within the framework of Dutch-Russian bilateral year:
Research of the students:LenExpo in SPb
2nd Stage visit to the Netherlands
Vriezenveen
• 2nd stage to finalize the research results and present it to Matel Metaal company.
• Next to that an educational and cultural program to learn about business culture in The Netherlands
Educational Program in Enschede
Program in the townhall of Enschede, with contributions from the municipality about the strategy of supporting high-tech business. Also lectures about business culture and Dutch“topsector” policy.
Visit to Kennispark Twente
Learning about the support for high-tech start-ups in Enschede
Cultural program
Visit to “Historisch Museum Vriezenveen” about historical trade relations of the region with Russia.
Company visit
Consonant Yachts, shipbuilding & maintenance. Europe wide operating company from the town of Vriezenveen.
Company visit & presentation
Visit to Matel Metaal company to present the outcomes of the work of the students for the director Jan Matel
Outcomes
An export plan for Matel Metaal with the conclusion to look for a local partner/producer to start a joint venture with.Several names of possibly interested companies
Outcomes
An export plan for Matel Metaal with the conclusion to look for a local partner/producer to start a joint venture with.Several names of possibly interested companies
Outcomes - publicity
This innovative event was covered by written press, radio and TV in both St. Petersburg and Enschede
Outcomes – for the students
• Research set up to look into the effects of participation in the Autumn Business School.
• All participants were asked for an extensive semi-structured interview (respons of 16 out of 20)
• At the same time a control group (classmates) who did not participate, in both Russia and Netherlands (n=42) was asked about their knowledge of the Dutch/Russian market.
Outcomes
56%33%
11%
Most important reason for participating (NL Students)
Visiting Russia
International Business Project experience
International Project Management
33%
25%
25%
17%
Most important reason for participating (RU Students)
Using and improving English
International Business Project Experience
Using theory in practice
Interest in studying in Netherlands
For Dutch students, most of them being quite used to international projects (especially with Germany), found a project in Russia quite appealing as a different & exotic destination.Russian students commented on the limited possibilities to speak English in Russia, and were looking for practical business experience in general.
Outcomes
• In accordance with literature on action learning (eg. Kolb) we decided to ask questions on three domains:
• Knowledge (about culture/foreign market)• Skills (about doing international projects)• Attitude (about further studying/working
abroad)
Some of the outcomes in the following slides.
Outcomes - Knowledge
71%
14%
14%
Perception of Russian market before the school (NL Students)
No concrete knowledge
Difficult rules/regula-tions
Large market/oppor-tunities
56%
22%
22%
Perception of Dutch market before the school (RU Students)
No concrete knowledge
Know a number of Dutch companies in RU
Produce high quality innovative goods
Students from both countries knew virtually nothing about each others markets. General knowledge they had was highly stereotypical, for example: Russians are noisy people and heavy drinkers, Dutch use a lot of drugs and there is a lot of prostitution (Amsterdam red light district).
Outcomes
60%
40%
Most important new knowledge after the school (NL Students)
Russian (business) cultureRules and regula-tions
33%
33%
33%
Most important new knowledge after the school (RU Students)
Knowledge of Dutch market
Dutch (business) cul-ture
Various (Business) communication aspects
Interesting note: From the interviews it became clear that the Russian marketitself was still largely unknown to the Dutch students, they just had a clue whatis going on in St. Petersburg, but knew virtually nothing about the rest of Russia.
Outcomes - methods
29%
57%
14%
Most helpful method to learn about the market & business culture (NL Students)
Research at LenExpo Fair
Various lectures (Uni, Business Incubator, Consulate)
Visiting Dutch company
27%
27%
47%
Most helpful method to learn about the market & business culture (RU Students)
Research at LenExpo Fair
Various lectures
Visiting Dutch company
Outcomes - skills
80%
20%
Experienced difficulties in doing the project (NL Students)
Language problemNo major difficul-ties
20%
80%
Experienced difficulties in doing the project (RU Students)
Lack of practical experienceNo major difficul-ties
There is some bias: Students have been selected on the basis of their level of English, not on level of Russian (the Dutch students not reporting language problem were native Russian speakers).
Outcomes - Attitude
After the Autumn Business School I realized that I would like to work with the Dutch / Russian market after graduation:
NL StudentsRU Students
AgreeDisagreeUndecided
AgreeDisagreeUndecided
Outcomes - Attitude
The Autumn Business School is a good way to find out whether I would like to work abroad or not:
NL StudentsRU Students
50%
33%
17%
AgreeAgree (but I al-ready knew it be-fore)DisagreeUndecided
71%
21%
7%
AgreeAgree (but I al-ready knew it be-fore)DisagreeUndecided
Control group
• Control group research showed that this group students had only stereotypical knowledge, more or less similar to the participants before Autumn School.
• Just 1 Dutch student worked with Russia before (in the flower business of his father)
• Also: Limited interest in going abroad for study or internship (around 50%) in general, and to Russia in particular. Language border named most often as reason.
The next steps
• Using feedback from the students to improve our program.
• Incorporation of the next edition of the Autumn Business School as part of the curriculum of the Entrepreneurship program, as elective track within the (International) Project management module.
• Possible consortium building with more countries to create a multi-lateral exchange possibilities.
Thank you for your attention!
Questions & Discussion
Jacques BazenLecturer Entrepreneurship / Researcher, Regional Economic DevelopmentSaxion University (Enschede, Netherlands)[email protected]
Irina S. PetrovaPHD, Docent School of Management,Herzen University (St-Petersburg, Russia)[email protected]
http://schoolmanag.herzen.spb.ru
