Jul 12 2014

To be a businessman: SSU students gain entrepreneurial experience

SSU students offered their own entrepreneurial projects in the business game at the one of enterprises in Sumy region “Gorobyna”. The event was held on June 17 in the framework of the TEMPUS project “Creating interuniversity startup centers for student innovations”.

A series of business games for development of entrepreneurial qualities were based on the experience accumulated in the program of teachers’ professional development on innovative teaching activity.

The event started with a tour, during which students learned about the infrastructure of the company. Later in the course of a business game they demonstrated knowledge of current approaches to business, in particular, tried to develop new products, communication strategies, offered a program of sales promotion. Students worked in intersectoral teams that incorporated representatives of engineering, IT, economic, and advertising fields. So representatives of various branches of knowledge gained new experience of productive interaction in the group, and learned how to make joint decisions.

The team-winner consisted of Oleksandr Fursa, Kateryna Ovsiyenko, Janna Pronykova, Ikhtiyar Rozniyazov. Their idea was a natural soft drink maker creation. The jury, which included SSU teachers and administration of “Gorobyna”, celebrated innovative approaches of youth to problem solving, commercialization of creative solutions. The participation of foreign students in the game allowed to present projects oriented on international markets.

The concept of business game was developed by teachers of the Faculty of Skills Upgrading and Postgraduate Education at SSU jointly with experts of “Gorobyna”.

Director of “Gorobyna”, delegate of Regional Council Volodymyr Demura said: “We are interested in young professionals who have theoretical knowledge, creative thinking, creative approach to business, and entrepreneurial qualities. From this perspective, the cooperation of SSU and businesses of Sumy region has a huge potential. Starting with a business game, each student can implement a real business project”.