ECTS : 6
Description du contenu de l'enseignement :
Overview
This is a general English language class with a stress on the theme of entrepreneurship and creative business ideas. The course is designed to encourage the productive and creative imput of students, who will be guided through the steps of simulating the creation of their own company, from coming up with a feasible idea to designing a business plan and pitching it to potential investors. As the course title suggests, this course also involves studying the culture and practice of entrepreneurship in English-speaking countries, but also in “emerging” countries, such as India.
Course Schedule (12 weeks)
1- Introduction to course
- Pros and cons of entrepreneurship as a graduate career option
- Ice-breaking activity: create a questionnaire to evaluate peers’ suitability for a career as a self-employed person, and then interview classmates and report back to the class on your findings
2- Myths and media stereotypes of the entrepreneur
- Classic theories of the entrepreneurial act: Schumpeter, Kirzner and Knight compared and contrasted. Entrepreneurship, an essentially contested concept?
3- Current trends in start-ups: a study of 30 recent US start-ups. Class research and writing activity.
4- Feedback on previous week’s writing activity.
- Comparing current trends in European and US start-ups
- Beginning the process of coming up with your own ideas and finding collaborators with complementary skills: class activity.
5- The search for new and innovative business models in the era of Web 2.0 and beyond. Testing and applying Kevin Kelly’s theory of the eight “generative values” for business activity in the Internet age.
6- History of and recent developments in social entrepreneurship.
- Some recent theories and business developments in the United States: Michael Porter’s concept of “shared economic value” and his critique of CSR. The emergence of the “Benefit Corporation” as a new corporate class in the United States.
7- Basic marketing concepts. Identifying market segments and niche markets, and developing appropriate communication strategies.
- Web marketing and the attention economy
- Branding: some tools to help you create a brand.
- Class activity: re-brand an existing company, product, or service.
8- Marketing and PR: entrepreneurs and storytelling. Self-branding.
- Financing options.
- Fund-raising challenge activity.
- The pros and cons of crowd funding. Strategies for conducting an effective crowd-funding campaign.
9- Making a business plan.
- Pitching your idea to investors and negotiating a deal with them.
- Pitching to incubators
10-End-of-term students presentations and peer feedback
11-End-of-term students presentations and peer feedback
12-Final exam : 2 hours / Feedback from class on course.
Compétence à acquérir :
Course Objectives
The objectives are three-fold :
1/ to enhance students’ language and communication skills
2/ to stimulate their entrepreneurial creativity (to help them find their “inner entrepreneneur”)
3/ to generate knowledge and expand awareness of innovative business practices today
Learning Outcomes
1/ Greater confidence and fluency in public speaking,
2/ Enhanced written communication skills,
3/ Perfect the art of live and video business pitches,
4/ How to devise and write an appropriate business plan,
5/ Develop business communication strategies and skills.
Mode de contrôle des connaissances :
Mode of Assessment
Bibliographie, lectures recommandées :
Bibliography
Course documents and bibliography will be supplied at the beginning of the course.
MyCourse
This course is on MyCourse : No