About ACE
University of Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Hogeschool van Amsterdam - University of Applied Sciences (HvA), Inholland University of Applied Sciences Amsterdam, the municipality of Amsterdam, the Dutch Chamber of Commerce, the Amsterdam Knowledge Network Foundation (Kenniskring), businesses, entrepreneurs and student organisations, joined together to develop entrepreneurship education with the aim of improving entrepreneurial skills among all students in Amsterdam. There are three programme lines:
1. Studying Entrepreneurship in Amsterdam
2. Inspiration/awareness
3. Starting and growing
The mutual cooperation in the project (CASE) has borne so much fruit that the University of Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, the Hogeschool INHolland Amsterdam (Universities of Applied Sciences) decided in 2010 to make the collaborative bonds structural as a new organisation: the Amsterdam Center for Entrepreneurship.
Situation analysis
Higher education in the Netherlands is lagging behind in terms of stimulating entrepreneurship and dynamism. This translates, among other things, into a low willingness on the part of higher-educated people to commit to starting, taking over, or becoming entrepreneurial employees in young and innovative SME ventures. Because of this we are missing opportunities.
Higher-educated people make a demonstrably large contribution to successful entrepreneurship. The Netherlands needs successful entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial employees for growth, innovation and social cohesion. The Netherlands has relatively few fast-growing companies. It is therefore of economic and social importance that more higher-educated people undertake enterprises, that more entrepreneurial people receive higher education, and that education contributes to the development of entrepreneurial behaviour and the relevant competencies.
The solution approach chosen with ACE
The solution approach chosen in the project is based on new education forms with a great deal of attention paid to entrepreneurial skills. Students, even while at university, are establishing actual new companies as a component of their training. In this way they experience first hand what it is like to start up a new company. Besides this the project involves entrepreneurs in the new training, for example as client, teacher or coach for the students. Moreover the project has set quantitative targets by component (the numbers of students who actually took part in the activities, and the number of newly developed education subjects) so that the impact of the components on education and the economy can easily be established. Also a research programme was started to measure the impact of the training on students. Thus new training can be improved even further. Such a research programme did not previously exist in the Netherlands.
By involving existing networks of governments, businesses and entrepreneurs in the development and implementation of the project on several levels, structural and better relations with the relevant stakeholders are created. The project initiates new networks of students, businesses and entrepreneurs that reflect new dynamics in the relations with stakeholders.
ACE is winner of a European Enterprise Award (EEA) 2011. More detailed information about our activities you can find in our EEA-proposal ....
More about ACE at VU University Amsterdam: http://www.acevu.vu.nl/nl/english/index.asp
More about ACE at University of Amsterdam: http://www.feb.uva.nl/ace/home.cfm