newsletter

Over the past couple of months students from various higher education institutions have been working on different assignments with regard to sustainable entrepreneurship. These assignments have been made available by entrepreneurs in developing countries and in the Netherlands. The main goal of these assignments is to introduce the subject of sustainability in an attractive and challenging way. At the same time it allows students to make a real contribution by researching relevant matters for entrepreneurs.
 

During the competition various student groups work on the same assignment during a period of a couple of months. This period is concluded with an exciting final session, where the entrepreneur, together with a team of critical young professionals, judges the results of the students. During this session students present their results and the jury asks questions and gives feedback. The session is concluded with an award giving ceremony, where a money prize is being given to the best group.    

Over the past weeks various young professionals have given valuable contributions to these final sessions. With their working experience and profound knowledge on sustainability matters these young professionals have challenged and inspired students from different schools in the Netherlands.

Enviu has been in Utrecht where International Business and Management students worked on assignments for Fair Trade, Kamworks (solar energy company) and A.S.A.P. (a development organization in Burkina Faso). In Breda students have investigated the possibilities of producing bio-fuel in Tanzania and gave recommendations on how to set up the production process. The young professionals challenged the students in a final discussion on sustainability and the role of bio fuel in this.

Last week in Deventer a total of 60 students worked on tourism related assignments. The student teams presented their sustainable tourism program for trips to India, Sri Lanka and Africa. Some creative ideas were presented and the young professionals asked some critical questions which focused on all pillars of sustainability and challenged students to take an integrated approach towards sustainability. In Emmen a group of third year students developed a tourism package for trips to Isla Navarino in Chile. Here we asked some former Enviu volunteers and Chile experts to give comments on the proposals of the students. Their school magazine published an enthusiastic article about the competition.

If you are interested in volunteering as a jury member as well or if you have a research assignment as start-up entrepreneur, please send an email to: Marieke@enviu.org.