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About COEUR

Competence in EuroPreneurship

COEUR is an initiative of European universities to innovate entrepreneurship education. Instead of business plans, it focuses on business creativity: defining the right problem, generating ideas and turning them into a concrete value proposition.

Diversity is the method. Cultural, personal and academic differences in each team fuel creative thinking, which is why COEUR is open to students of every discipline.

Two ways to take part

COEUR Workshop · Winter semester · on site

A one-week seminar every September at a partner university abroad. Mixed teams create an idea, evaluate its potential and pitch a value proposition to a jury.

Busi­ness Creativity Module · Summer semester · online

A semester-long course in virtual international teams. Students develop a value proposition online and present it to entrepreneurs and investors.

Five letters, five attitudes

C for Cooperate: work together. O for Open: think openly. E for Evaluate: test ideas. U for Unite: connect cultures. R for Report: pitch convincingly.

Six partners, six countries

The six COEUR partner universities

Research and awards

COEUR has been documented in journals and conferences since 2008, including the Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (2011) and Advances in Higher Education (2014).

  • 2008 · Mainz · 2nd Europapreis of Rhineland-Palatinate for fostering intercultural communication
  • 2006 · Riga · Best Paper Award "Most Creative Effort", International Entrepreneurship Forum
 
  • Eickhoff, M./Trigo, V./Turnbull, A./Dyczkowski, T. (2014): COEUR: Developing Business Creativity and Entrepreneurship in European University Networks, in: Journal Advances in Higher Education, Volume 6, Issue 1/2014, pp. 76-101.
  • Eickhoff, M. (2014): Zehn Jahre COEUR - A European Dream, in: Jahrbuch 2013/14 des Fachbereichs Wirtschafts der Fachhochschule Mainz, Mainz 2014.
  • Eickhoff, M./Turbull, A.: Business Creativity: A New Educational Challenge for European Students. Presentation at the XV International Scientific Conference: Human Capital and Investment in Education, Prague, September 2012.
  • Eickhoff, M./Dyczkowski, T. (2012): Creative in Diversity: Developing Entrepreneurial Talents in European University Networks - Experiences from an Intercultural, (Blended-) Team-learning Opportunity. In preparation (Abstract accepted) for the 17th Nordic Conference on Small Business Research, Helsinki, May 2012.
  • Eickhoff, M./Turnbull, A. (2011): All Business is Glocal: The Importance of a Regional Entrepreneurship Culture. Experiences from the COEUR-Project - Competence in EuroPreneurship. Paper presented to the conference "Entrepreneurship and new venture creation - International models and benchmarks" at the Indian Institute of Management at Bangalore (India), December 9, 2011.
  • Turnbull, A./Eickhoff, M. (2011): Business Creativity - Innovating European Entrepreneurship Education. Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Special Issue: Entrepreneurial Marketing: Volume 24, Issue 1/2011, pp. 139-150.
  • Kardasz, A./Dyczkowski, T. (2009): Discovering the Entrepreneurial Potential in Differences between Europe and China. Paper presented at the 3rd Polish-Chinese-German serial conference in Opole, Poland on October 14-16, 2009.
  • Eickhoff, M./Müller, S. (2008): The ‘COEUR’ - University Network: Experiences with Joint Learning Opportunities in European Entrepreneurship Education. CIDD Papers on International Business Education, No (2) Paris.
  • Eickhoff, M. / Müller, S. (2008): The Business Creativity Module (BCM): Pilot Run of a Joint European Course educating Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation, paper for the G-Forum 2008, 6th-7th November 2008, Dortmund.