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The COEUR Project (Business Creativity)

COEUR is an international project bringing together students from different countries and focusing on entrepreneurship.

Learn more about the COEUR project on the following pages and become an entrepreneur of TOMORROW!

Upcoming Workshop

20th COEUR EuroPreneurship Workshop
12. – 18. September 2024
Wroclaw University of Economics and Business (Breslau, Poland)

 

 

Application

Please send the completed application form to coeur (at) hs-mainz.de.

Deadline: 30.04.2024

COEUR Idea

COEUR stands for "Competence in EuroPreneurship". It represents an initiative of European higher education institutions seeking to innovate entrepreneurial education at European universities.

Its education concepts focus on BUSINESS CREATIVITY and the GENERATION OF CREATIVE IDEAS which finally end up in a concrete VALUE PROPOSITION. Thus the COEUR learning opportunities clearly distinguish from business planning.

By concentrating on the PROCESS OF PROBLEM DEFINITION and IDEA DEVELOPMENT the COEUR learning opportunities contribute to harvest the most important resources on which Europe will have to build in the future: creative ideas!

All COEUR learning opportunities are based on DIVERSITY to stimulate creative thinking with the help of cultural, personal and educational diversity of participants. Focusing on DIVERSITY all learning opportunities are open to participants from any discipline.

Currently, COEUR is offering 2 options to participate:

  • the COEUR Workshop (studium integrale course "Business Creativity Workshop") and
  • the COEUR Business Creativity Module (studium integrale course "Business Creativity Module")

Options to Participate

Every September 30 to 40 students from different universities in Europe (such as Finland, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Scotland) gather together in an isolated location to participate in the COEUR workshop and create NEW IDEAS for Europe.

Based on the principle of DIVERSITY groups of participants are formed, in which they have to create an idea, evaluate its potential and finally provide a concrete value proposition. At the end of the 5-day workshop, the interculturally mixed teams present their value proposition in front of a jury.

The COEUR workshops look back on a tradition of 14 years, having taken us to many different places in Europe, reaching from Lisbon to Helsinki, from Dijon to Wroclaw and in-between. Workshops in Guangzhou (China) and Florianopolis (Brazil) were held to develop an understanding for entrepreneurial cultures around the globe.

Facts about the COEUR Workshop

  • Participation as part of Studium Integrale in the 2nd or 4th semester/5 ECTS
  • Only in the winter semester
  • 5 days of workshop at a location abroad
  • Intercultural team work + entrepreneurial education
  • Costs: approx. €350 (full board, excluding flight)

 

20th COEUR EuroPreneurship Workshop
12. – 18. September 2024
Wroclaw University of Economics and Business (Breslau, Poland)

 

COEUR Business Creativity Module (BCM) is the second learning opportunity students can choose. In contrast to the COEUR Workshop, BMC runs during the regular semester time. Based on the COEUR principles groups of international students are formed to achieve diversity.

The group members communicate online and hence are working in VIRTUAL TEAMS. Within these teams a value proposition has to be created and finally presented in front of a jury (entrepreneurs, investors, etc.) – all based on an online communication system.

Students choosing this alternative not only learn about business creativity, but also practice virtual team work, which tends to become more important in the future.

Facts about BCM

  • Participation as part of Studium Integrale in the 2nd or 4th semester/5 ECTS
  • Only in the summer semester
  • During the whole semester
  • Intercultural and virtual team work + entrepreneurial education

 

  • 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.

 

Awards

  • Mainz (Germany) 2008: 2nd 'Europapreis' of the Federal State Rhineland Palatinate for learning opportunities fostering intercultural communication amongst students, awarded on the 6th of May 2008, City Hall, Mainz
  • Riga (Latvia) 2006: Best Paper Award for the 'Most Creative Effort', paper presented at the 6th International Entrepreneurship Forum (IEF), Riga, 31.8.- 2.9.2006

The COEUR University Network

RGU - Robert Gordon University Aberdeen, Scotland

Wroclaw University of Economics, Wrowclaw, Poland

HAAGA-HELIA UAS, Helsinki, Finland

Estonian Business School, Tallinn, Estonia

Business & Hotel Management School, Luzern, Switzerland

Mainz University of Applied Sciences, Mainz, Germany

Recap COEUR Workshop 2023: Tourism of happiness (Porvoo, Finland)

"TOURISM OF HAPPINESS" AS THE THEME OF THE 19TH COEUR WORKSHOP

Finland has been named the "happiest country in the world" several times since 2018. Despite this award, Finland and Porvoo are not emmediately the first choise for most tourists when it comes to attractive travel destinations. For this reason, the students focused on the question of how the tourist appeal of Porvoo can be stuainably increased.

THE WORKSHOP: A MIX OF TEAM BUILDING, COACHING AND IMPULSES
At the beginning of the week, the focus was on getting to know each other and a cultural exchange. The students presented the countries of their home universities in Germany, Finland, Mexico, Poland, Scotland and Switzerland. Over the course of the workshop week, business ideas were developed and the teams were supported by professors from the participating universities. The students received inspiring input during several keynote speeches from experts in the field. There were also two idea check-ups where the project groups presented their ideas and received immediate feedback.

THE RESULT: SIX CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEAS 
At the end of the week, the students showed that hard work and commitment pay off with their six innovative business ideas:

  1. Nature Nest: a glamping experience on a floating apartment with an integrated AI solution to understand the starry sky 
  2. Reconnect: a vacation experience in cabins with workshops from local providers
  3. SPORTVOO: a sports event for families that supports local businesses
  4. Happy Retreat: a camp to strengthen relationships and trust in partnerships and families
  5. Olla Ellossa: A wellness resort to recover from burnout
  6. Connect Porvoo: An app to connect local providers with tourists

The experienced jury consisted of experts from the tourism industry. Nature Nest was awarded for the best idea, Reconnect for the best presentation and SPORTVOO for the greatest transformation of the team. 
During the week in Finland, the participants were able to make international friends and develop both professionally and personally. With this special combination, the week will remain a special experience and a very good memory for all participants.

(Laura Schlösser, Malin Kranendonck, Clarissa Goy)
 

Impressions

Downloads

COEUR application form
XLSX, 25 KB

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