Are current entrepreneurship education programs and methods effective? How can students best transition from learning to doing, and what are educators doing to support them?
To answer these questions and open up the dialogue, the Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Luxembourg, together with chair partner the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, invited Chrystèle Sanon, an Entrepreneurship Education expert, to screen her documentary film TEACH© and lead a roundtable discussion.
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Chrystèle Sanon introduces the TEACH© documentary
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Marina Andrieu (WIDE) speaks with the other panelists.
The evening’s conversation centred around two main ideas, particularly relevant to the University of Luxembourg, an institution that is both incredibly diverse and firmly rooted in the larger business community. Firstly, the panel focused on the cultural impact on entrepreneurship education, where panelists agreed that the perception and practice of entrepreneurship are deeply shaped by cultural context. While the teaching frameworks are globally similar, students’ cultural backgrounds influence their engagement, approach to launching ventures, and project structuring.
Secondly, the panel turned its attention to the university’s mission versus practice. Panelists conceded that universities focus on fostering critical understanding and cultural awareness, not necessarily action. However, integrating entrepreneurship in practice is crucial for bridging theory and real-world application, empowering students to transition from learning to doing effectively. The importance of this second point was evident from the diverse backgrounds of the panel participants, each representing a node in the network of Luxembourg entrepreneurship.
From the academic community, Professor Christian Fisch, Associate Professor in Business Economics and Entrepreneurship at the SnT, was joined by entrepreneur and Honduran-born alumnus of the Master in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Cesar Fernandez, who co-created www.moveme.lu, a platform that helps students and workers settle in Luxembourg. From the institutional side, Pedro Ferreira Leal, an entrepreneurship project advisor at the House of Entrepreneurship, and Marina Andrieu, who leads WIDE (Women in Digital Empowerment), a social enterprise that supports women in entrepreneurship, particularly in acquiring digital skills.