Enterprise Education and Civic Leadership: A synergistic relationship

07/01/2025 | by Helen Hook | Birmingham

The integration of Enterprise Education, civic leadership, and social well-being is crucial for preparing students to navigate the complexities of the modern world. The EUniWell Civic Leadership project exemplifies how collaboration between universities and external stakeholders can create meaningful opportunities for students, staff and our communities, ultimately benefiting all individuals and our societies.

A group of coloured pencils is arranged vertically and bound with a rubber band, forming the body of a rocket. Chalk outlines on a blackboard complete the rocket’s shape, with triangular fins and a pointed tip. Pieces of pastel chalk lie on the wooden surface below. In the upper right corner, a circular sticker with a blue-to-pink gradient reads "civic leadership".

What is Enterprise Education?

The Quality Assurance Agency (2018) defines Enterprise Education as the process of developing students in a manner that provides them with an enhanced capacity to generate ideas, and the behaviours, attributes, and competencies to make them happen. It extends beyond knowledge acquisition to a wide range of emotional, intellectual, social, cultural and practical behaviours, attributes and competences, and is appropriate to all students.

My role as Enterprise Educator at the University of Birmingham involves co-creating modules with academics, where we embed contextualised Enterprise Education into degree programmes.  This often involves integrating employer engagement opportunities through real-world projects, addressing 21st-century interdisciplinary challenges such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Students learn-by-doing through experiential, problem-based learning, and authentic assessments.

Why is Enterprise Education important?

In the past decade, the significance of Enterprise Education has surged, becoming a cornerstone for future generations and economic growth. This shift is particularly crucial in today's turbulent times, marked by a growing youth population and rising youth unemployment in many countries. These challenges underscore the need for job creation and enterprising behaviours within employment sectors, as highlighted by the British Council in 2023. 

Collaboration with External Stakeholders is key

According to the European Commission in 2022, more than three-quarters of companies in the EU struggle to find workers with the necessary skills. Enterprise Education bridges this gap by building in opportunities to engage a wide range of external stakeholders into the co-design and delivery of a module, including non-profits, public sector entities, and businesses.

Here are three examples:

  1. Global Enterprise Project module: where students are given real-word business challenges facing international exporters. Through practical workshops, they are given the requisite knowledge to develop strategies to overcome those challenges. To read more click here.
  2. Year in Civic Leadership module: where students are introduced to the principles of civic engagement & leadership, becoming active citizens as they design a collaborative project in collaboration with local community actors to explore different policy contexts of a specific social issue.  To read more click here.
  3. EUniWell International Service-Learning: a 10- week extra-curricular project, providing students with a structured, yet experiential learning opportunity to collaborate with others and make a difference. To read more, click here.

Enhancing Social Well-being through Civic Leadership activities

Civic leadership and Enterprise Education projects often focus on improving social well-being by addressing issues such as public health, environmental sustainability, and social justice. By participating in these types of projects, students not only apply their entrepreneurial skills but also develop a sense of responsibility and empathy.

To conclude…

Enterprise Education and Civic Leadership are deeply interconnected. Enterprise education equips students with the skills and mindset necessary to identify and solve problems, take initiative, and lead projects. These skills are essential for civic leadership, where individuals are called upon to address community issues, mobilise resources, and drive social change.

How can you get involved?

EUniWell is co-creating initiatives that bring together students, researchers, educators, and staff from inside our universities with those outside, such as public authorities, hospitals, schools, businesses and wider community organisations. By fostering collaboration and making academic knowledge accessible, we work to enhance civic well-being across our regions. 

  1. If you are a student, please be sure to look at all the opportunities EUniWell are offering as well as the activities and events being offered within your own institutions. 
  2. If you are aneducator interested in sharing best practice, discussing opportunities for collaboration, please get in touch. Also check out this great cocreation course coming up: EUniWell Co-Creation Workshop: Driving Engagement Beyond Borders  
  3. If you are anAssociate Partner who is keen on exploring ways to engage with Enterprise Education, whether this is by providing projects to our flagship International Service-Learning Project, or anything else…please do get in touch!

To read more about Civic Participation projects happening across the EUniWell Alliance, please visit our webpage: Civic Participation

If you would like to connect to learn more, please get in touch: h.hook[at]bham.ac.uk

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