Introducing Entrepreneurship Education in Undergraduate Engineering Programs at

Chalmers University of Technology

Hanna Sundström

Quick overview

• Sweden• Chalmers University of Technology• Practical Leadership in Innovation• Beyond…

Sweden

• Small country in northern Europe

• Tradition of entrepreneurship

Chalmers University of Technology

• Engineering university.

• 11000 students, 1000 faculty

• 15 5-year programs, 8 3-year programs

• 3 years BSc + 2 years MSc

• School of Entrepreneurship

Chalmers University of Technology- Man~Technology~Society

• 7,5 credits out of 300 = quarter of a term.

• “...prepare the student for his/her roll as an

engineer in a complex society”

• Architechture, Women Studies, History of

Technology and Technology and Society.

• “Easy credits”

Engineering Education

• Conceive - Design – Implement - Operate• Project based• Team work

• Traditional– Lectures, exercises, written exam.

Practical Leadership in Innovation

• 8 weeks part-time during Q1

• Mechanical engineering and Automation

Mechatronics engineering.

• 37 students

• Multiple choice theory quiz.

Practical Leadership in

Innovation

LeadershipEntrepreneurship

•Create product/service/business•Video pitch•Weekly reflections

•FIRST Lego League• Lead

innovation projects

•Reflection on leadership

Teaching Tools

• Flipped Classroom– Active participation in class

• Video lectures» “I love the concept of video lectures! You can get up, make yourself breakfast

and then just watch it in the kitchen. Then you can pause it, walk away and do whatever, and get back to the lecture. It’s just awesome! Then you get to class and quick recap showing that ‘yes! I’ve got it!’ In other classes I usually sleep through the lecture, but here I come in like a zombie and I’m told ‘Do this’ and I just have to wake up and participate” – Student during midway evaluation

• Facebook– Easy, open communication– Quick feedback

The other side of the coin

• Flipped Classroom– Mostly appreciated, created stress.

• Facebook– Mostly appreciated, created stress.

• Subject – generally– ”Fluffy” –> appreciated.

• Leadership– Divided.

Next time…

• More time

• More structure

• More diversity

• More leadership responsibility

What has changed?

• University committee overseeing man-tech-society

• National Survey of Engineering programs– Increased interest.

• Increased interest in the venture creation program?

To conclude :

“I think that as a Chalmers student and engineer it would be beneficial to get out into industry and have learnt something as a human being, I mean, a lot of people are great at what they do, calculations and stuff, but they lack a lot of other tools that might be important to have. I think that’s exactly what this course does, teaching me something as a human being, and about being part of society” – Student in midway evaluation.

Thank you!

Hanna Sundströmsuhanna@student.chalmers.se