Promoting digital entrepreneurial mindsets in Higher Education

UNESCO (2017) identifies quality education, developing skills to address economic, social and environmental challenges, as foundational to achieving all SDGs. COVID-19 pandemic hastened the need for digital transformation in education, requiring innovative teaching methods and transnational collaboration with reduced physical mobility. Additionally, The EU prioritizes entrepreneurial competence, with the European Council (2018) urging member states to cultivate "entrepreneurial mindsets" and foster "creativity and initiative among youth”. The traditional university model is increasingly perceived as less relevant for the future. Young people question whether higher education delivers the anticipated benefits; employers doubt whether universities remain the primary source of talent, and policymakers debate the efficacy of increasing funding for higher education. In response, challenge-based learning (CBL), an innovative experiential methodology focused on solving real-world challenges, has emerged as an effective approach. CBL not only develops creativity and entrepreneurial competencies but also addresses contemporary societal challenges.

Based on the developments of previous projects and the need to promote online co-creation and entrepreneurial systems due to the challenges evidenced by COVID-19, the main aim of D-EMIND was to design, develop and test a digital challenge-based learning methodology, strategies, and tools for promoting entrepreneurial mindset in Higher Education. The specific goals were: (1) developing and promoting the use of a trans-European platform for CBL, innovation and peer to peer learning amongst students and teachers; (2) facilitating real world challenges where students as part of their formal education co-operate with external organizations to help them solve these challenges; (3) merging challenged-based learning and entrepreneurship teaching and hence taking both to the next level, (4) preparing students for a work life that physically and/or digitally transgress borders, thereby increasing their capacity to work at EU/international level, and (5) reinforcing the link among higher education institutions and external institutions and organizations in order to cocreate projects to foster entrepreneurship. These goals are contributing to two horizontal priorities of the E+ program and two sectorial priorities for Higher Education.

To achieve D-EMIND goals, five types of activities were developed: Project Management; Project Management Handbook; External oversight provided by a Project Advisory Group (PAG); Project Results related actions; Dissemination activities.

To meet the project's objectives, four interrelated results have been developed: PR1 – D-EMIND Methodology and Self-Assessment Tool; PR2 – D-EMIND Toolbox and Platform; PR3 – D-EMIND Training Pack;PR4 – D-EMIND MOOCs.