Advancing Inclusive Mentorship Programs for Higher Education Level
Value proposition
AIM supports university and employers in designing and introducing Inclusive Entrepreneurship Mentoring Model (“IEMM”) for university students, equipping them with the skillset necessary to transform innovative ideas into start-ups.
Extended outline
AIM combines the efforts of four partners, representing four regions of Europe – North (Sweden), South Western (Portugal), South Eastern (Bulgaria) and Central (Austria). The starting point of our joint effort is supporting university and partner organization’s staff in designing and introducing Inclusive Entrepreneurship Mentoring Model (“IEMM”) for university students, equipping them with the skillset necessary to transform innovative ideas into start-ups.
AIM is based on the understanding that providing university and partner organisations’ staff with tools and instruments for inclusive entrepreneurial mentorship models delivery will empower both groups of stakeholders to contribute effectively to the development of entrepreneurial skills of university students during their study period.
Our motivation is to contribute to increasing the percentage of university students realizing their entrepreneurial potential within 5 years after graduation.
The structure of IEMM is as follows:
1. Equip students with the skillset necessary to transform innovative ideas into a start-up;
2. High quality internships enabled by close collaboration and periodic alignment between universities and employers (industrial companies);
3. Mentorship and one-to-one feedback.
AIM targets university students who want to develop their ideas and transform them into a start-up. Within this group, it is emphasized that opportunities in entrepreneurship mentoring are open to everyone with an idea for a sustainable business, regardless of their background and characteristics.
In reaching out to diverse groups of students, it is expected that AIM will close the gaps on social and inclusion challenges brought about by immigration, amongst other issues.
Kick-off meeting
On 07.11.2022, partners met for an online meeting to set the frame of project activities and agree on first key tasks to be implemented.
During the meeting we agreed also on our communication approach towards the diverse stakeholders in our project.
Online channels
We are happy to announce that our project website is accessible in all partner languages and English.
The website is linked to a dedicated Facebook page, which allows us to build a strong online community in the following 2 years of our joint collaboration.
Monthly partner meetings
We meet regularly to ensure the design of our IEMM model is aligned to our national contexts, but also global trends in the field.
During our monthly meetings we plan concrete steps and monitor implementation.
International seminar: "Entrepreneurship and Mentoring: do you want to start-up?"
On 04th May in Gavle, Sweden we present first outcomes of our joint work. During this event experts from our partner organisation will deliver inspiring talks on topics focussing on internships for students, entrepreneurship and mentoring.
We place strong emphasis on presenting draft concept of our inclusive entrepreneurship mentoring model.
Date/Location: 4th May 10h45-12h15 @ University of Gävle, Location: Building 11460
For more information and registration, check out the event's website
Webinars in Entrepreneurship: 2023 Schedule
We launch the exciting online learning journey for University Students in our countries and across Europe. From Sep to Dec 2023, every student has the opportunity to attend six FREE webinars to nurture one's entrepreneurship competences.
Participants in the webinars will receive opportunity to be invited to our forthcoming 6-month internship programme in leading companies and organisations, dedicated to elevating entrepreneurship to a higher level.
The best starting point for any student interested is to make a short self-evaluation of one's entrepreneurial preparedness. Link to the e-tool: https://www.inclusivementoring.eu/e-tool
Contact us for a link to each webinar.
Partner meeting and dissemination event in Sweden
We had an exciting time in Sweden (04-05 May 2023).
During the partner meeting in Gavle and Uppsala we managed to agreed on the draft content and structure of our IEMM manual. We also planned future activities such as e-tool finalisation and forthcoming webinars for students.
In the second part we were able to directly interact with international group of guests to our dissemination event and emphasise on the main prinicples of mentoring in the context of our IEMM model.
1st Webinar In Entrepreneurship
On 25.09.2023 we had our first webinar as part of piloting of our IEMM model. 30 university students and mentors from different countries had the opportunity to engage in online entrepreneurial learning, led by our partners from University of Evora.
The topic of the webinar was: "Start-up course Introduction and an Entrepreneurial Mindset".
Till the end of the year, students will have the opportunity to join several more webinars, which will nurture their entrepreneurial competences and help them engage in the following six month internship period.
2nd and 3rd Webinars In Entrepreneurship
On 17.10.2023 and 26.10.2023 we had the next two webinars as part of piloting of our IEMM model.
33 university students and mentors from different countries had the opportunity to engage in online entrepreneurial learning, led by our partners from University of Evora and National Management School (Webinar 2 - 16 participants; Webinar 3 - 17 participants).
The topic of the webinars were:
Webinar 2 - "Empowering Innovation"
Webinar 3 - "Ideation: How to come up with a promising start-up idea?".
Till the end of the year, students will have the opportunity to join several more webinars, which will nurture their entrepreneurial competences and help them engage in the following six month internship period.
4th Webinar In Entrepreneurship
On 06.11.2023 our fourth webinar took place, engaging 21 participants.
The focus was on Grant Selection and Application process for start-ups.
The main presentation was delivered by our colleagues from University of Gavle.
Till the end of the year, students will have the opportunity to join two more webinars, which will nurture their entrepreneurial competences and help them engage in the following six month internship period.
5th Webinar In Entrepreneurship
The "The Process of Creating a Start-up?" webinar, organized by AIM, was held on November 20th, 2023, with a participation of 20 individuals. The event featured Joao Gomes from HiG as the key presenter, who provided an overview of his professional background and expertise in a presentation titled “Innovation and the Momentum When a Start-up is Born”.
The webinar's agenda included a detailed discussion on the various aspects of start-up creation, with a focus on innovation. Joao Gomes shared his insights and experiences, aiming to guide and inform the participants about the early stages of developing a start-up.
In the second part of the webinar, interns presented their research and findings on topics related to start-up creation. These presentations allowed for a sharing of diverse perspectives and insights, contributing to a broader understanding of the subject.
The event concluded with a session for questions and answers, providing an opportunity for attendees to engage directly with the speakers.
Questions?
Contact us to get more information on the project