Apply now for Winter School on Entrepreneurship

In line with COSIMENA’s goal to tackle today’s global challenges by fostering scientific collaboration, the COSIMENA Winter School – a cooperation with the Arab Academy for Science Technology & Maritime Transport (AASTMT) – aims at training young researchers in the challenges of science and technology transfer and to support and coach them on their exciting journey from new ideas to innovations and eventually start-ups or university spin-offs.

Aim and Scope

The 1st COSIMENA Digital Winter School on Entrepreneurship aims to bring together scientists and practitioners from higher education and the economy sector in Germany and the MENA region, building on the research that has already been raised in the past years and adding to the current discussions.

The Winter School will serve as a platform to discuss the various forms of current successful concepts on the theme, the challenges as well as the opportunities to cooperate cross-regionally and with Germany.

Outcome

• bringing different stakeholders together: young researches and master students, policy makers, professors, business professionals/experts; industry professionals/experts and institutions
• supporting stakeholders through networking opportunities (such as Icealex … etc.)
• fostering exchange of ideas and expertise
• promising young researchers get the chance to develop their business idea and get consultation on its implementation

Focal Points

The Winter School aims to discuss the following aspects:

• The role of innovation-management & technology transfer in Higher Education: Where can digitalization fill in the gaps, innovatively from an academic perspective and with regards to practical relevance? What are the risks connected with it? What are the (future) trends?
• Role of universities: What is the role of Higher Education? How can Higher Education support the students in transforming their business ideas (Model AASTMT & German Universities)?
• Nexus: Higher Education- Economy-Industry-Technology transfer
• Technology and Knowledge transfer are the two pillars on which the whole process of entrepreneurship is based. The most successful start-ups are technology-based and knowledge-intensive startups have an especially high potential for expanding employment opportunities.
• New, innovative methodologies in entrepreneurship training and start-up support: Participants are trained in and learn to apply up-to-date methods in building innovative start-ups including ideation, business modelling, lean start-up-methodology and Scrum. The overall goal is to transfer innovative ideas from science and technological research into sustainable business models and thereby to create value for the economy and society.

Methodology

Trainers

• Experts from German universities
• Experts from the MENA-region: from universities and/or from economy and industry such as “Icealex”

Methodology

• Live-Sessions: A session in which multiple users can work together on a specific theme.
• Self-Study Modules: are a series of educational modules designed to provide information about a certain topic in a self-study format that allows students to concentrate on working independently, helping them learn to work on their own.
• Assignments: a task or piece of work allocated to someone as part of a course of study.
• Publication: the preparation and issuing of a journal or a documentation of the regional winter school with the necessary information, data and/or results for the participating stakeholders and participants intended to be useful for further the progress of science in that field.

How to apply?

Please apply online here

Required documents include:

• your CV in English
• your graduate diploma (if already available) and transcripts
• proof of sufficient English language proficiency (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, language certificate from your university, proof of enrolment in an English-speaking program, etc.)
• a motivation letter in English, outlining why you want to take part in the COSIMENA winter school, how you could personally benefit from the program and what kind of own research project and/or business idea you are working on, or planning to work on. The length of the motivation letter should range between 400 – 500 words.
• please note that only complete applications can be considered.

The application deadline is March 14th, 2021 (for Sudan March 19th) . Notifications on the outcome of your application as well as invitations for successful applicants will be send out to the applicants at by Mid-March 2021. For more information, kindly visit the project page and download curriculum (PDF, 233.29 KB).