The European Union (EU) in the “Project Europe 2030” is continuing to follow “Europe 2020” set out as a vision of social market economy for the 21st century. One of the tools to achieve this vision is to increase numbers of social entrepreneurship (SE) and promote this business model. SE creates sustainable and inclusive growth and stimulates social innovations. Social entrepreneurship has a potential to bring forward new approaches to big challenges that Europe is facing such as an ageing population, growing inequality, climate change, and youth unemployment. Only a few universities in Europe such as Roskilde University and the London School of Economics and Political Sciences offer study programmes whereas social entrepreneurship is incapsulated either as a specialization or a module. A survey carried out in partners’ home institutions and the discussions held among partners during the preparatory meetings revealed that: (1) none of the partners has a programme or a model for encouraging educators to incorporate the concept of social entrepreneurship in their teaching practices; (2) none of the partners offer social entrepreneurship as study track, module or study programme; (3) more importantly, teachers critically lack knowledge and skills about social entrepreneurship in Lithuania, Latvian and Cyprus partner institutions. The emergence of social entrepreneurship is prevented by number of barriers. obstacles are different in different countries, but the most common is a lack of understanding of the concept of “social entrepreneurship” across Europe. Poor recognition of this term is in all chains of market from policy makers, public servants to public in general, investors, prospective customers. Another barrier faced by social entrepreneurship is a lack of entrepreneurial spirit, managerial and professional skills, competencies necessary for scaling up activities. Higher education institutions (HEI) are the shapers and innovators of our communities that help foster cultural, social and economic vitality. Social entrepreneurship track their development throughout education sector and notes that young people still lack knowledge of social entrepreneurship and its peculiarities. The problem is lack of understanding of the concept of “social entrepreneurship” and lack of necessary skills to develop social entrepreneurship in HEIs. This project aims at raising awareness about social entrepreneurship and its benefits around higher education institutions’ community and in wider range, to promote the development of this business model. The objective is to raise awareness about social entrepreneurship and its benefits around teachers, students and society. HEI’s academics’ have skills gaps in this area. It is necessary to development teachers’ competences and update study programmes, to make them more relevant to current Europe’s economic, social model and international labor market situation. It is evident that there is an urgent need to promote social entrepreneurship among educators and to produce highly qualified graduates capable of addressing profound social challenges faced by our communities and Europe in general. Therefore, is it urgent to empower teachers so that they could deliver high quality teaching whereas the development of social entrepreneurship knowledge and competences are emphasized. In order to achieve the aim of this project it has to be implemented transnationally in collaboration of institutions from different countries with different levels of expertise in the field. Countries with stronger expertise (Belgium, Finland) will create model of development of “Social entrepreneurship” competencies in higher education institutions and will create training methodology for teachers from countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Cyprus) and will provide training. Trained teachers with new tool and knowledge will make training to local teachers about “Social entrepreneurship” so that they could integrate this knowledge into their teaching subjects. As a result of the training a new curriculum on “Social entrepreneurship” will be created and will be integrated into the study processes of partner universities involved.
The overall aim of SEinHE project was to raise awareness about social entrepreneurship and its benefits around teachers, students and society. Specific objectives: a) Promote a better understanding of SE by teachers; b) Encourage the incorporation of social business practices in teaching methods; c) Stimulate the development and delivery of courses, study tracks, and curriculum with exclusive focus on social entrepreneurship. In order to achieve the objectives the project had to be implemented transnationally in collaboration of institutions from different countries where the level of SE business model is developed in different levels. Partners from Belgium and Finland, (where this model is wider spread) has shared their expertise with partners from Lithuania, Latvia, and Cyprus (where SE concept inclusion in HEIs studies had not been so common yet), so all partners gained more experience and developed their skills in this area. More importantly, social entrepreneurship already suffers from misconceptions and misunderstanding in different countries. Implementing the project transnationally via the use of the common approaches and methodologies has contributed to standardize its meaning and therefore its understanding.
“Project Europe 2030” stress out that Social Entrepreneurship (SE) creates sustainable and inclusive growth and stimulates social innovations. But according to EU report: “A map of social enterprises and their eco-systems in EU” (2015), SE faces a number of barriers, most common is a lack of understanding of this concept in EU, also lack of entrepreneurial spirit, managerial and professional skills needed by business practitioners for scaling up SE. HEIs are the shapers and innovators that help foster cultural, social and economic vitality, but only a few HEIs in EU offer studies whereas SE is offered as a specialization or a module. At SEinHE project Belgian and Finish partners provided courses around SE. A survey revealed that: (1) none of the partners had a programme or a model for encouraging educators to incorporate SE in their teaching practices; (2) none of the partners offered SE as study track or module. (3) teachers critically lacked knowledge and skills about SE in Lithuania, Latvia and Cyprus partner HEIs. Therefore, it was evidence of urgent need to promote SE among HEIs and to produce highly qualified graduates capable of addressing profound social challenges faced by our communities and Europe in general.