[17 Dec] Seminar: Cultivating Global Entrepreneurial Mindsets Through Practice-Based Entrepreneurial Learning: Insights From a Partnership Between Norway and South Africa

Dear Colleagues and Students,

You are cordially invited to attend the seminar on Cultivating Global Entrepreneurial Mindsets Through Practice-Based Entrepreneurial Learning: Insights From a Partnership Between Norway and South Africa, organised by the Graduate School (GS). Details are as follows:

Speaker

Mr Kelvin Ivanković is a PhD Research Fellow in the innovation research group at the Business School of the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. He holds bachelor’s, honours, and master’s degrees from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, where he majored in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, and Financial Management. Mr Ivanković has gained substantial international experience through completing business courses at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (USA), KU Leuven (Belgium), and the University of Adelaide (Australia). He was also one of the first South African students to participate in the UTFORSK international exchange program between Norway and South Africa. Following his participation in this program, he moved to Norway to pursue his PhD in Responsible Innovation and Regional Development. He continues to remain deeply engaged in the South Africa–Norway partnership through lecturing and mentoring new cohorts of Norwegian and South African exchange students. Mr Ivanković’s research interests include entrepreneurship, innovation, and business management, and he lectures on topics such as entrepreneurship, sustainability, design thinking, and B2B marketing. Currently, he is a visiting scholar at EdUHK, where he will remain until the end of January 2025.

Abstract

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Practice course at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is designed to provide students with immersive, practice-based learning experiences. Connected to this course is a dynamic exchange program with South Africa that promotes reciprocal student and faculty mobility. Through a 10-week cross-cultural internship, Norwegian and South African students are immersed in vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems, tackling sustainability challenges and engaging in practical business activities. These real-world experiences equip the students with essential entrepreneurial mindsets and skills. By integrating experiential and cross-cultural learning, the program enriches students’ entrepreneurial capabilities, fosters personal growth, and enhances self-efficacy, preparing them to become impactful entrepreneurs capable of contributing to sustainable and innovative solutions in a global context.

*Please register before 16 December, 2024 (Monday).

We look forward to seeing you there!

All are welcome.

Best regards,

Graduate School