I know that this post is a week late, even a little more, I would say. The point is that I wanted to write it after an event that for me is very special and a must-attend event. It is Being Entrepreneurial 2023. I was so excited to participate that, although I had everything (almost everything) prepared before the summer to be able to travel to Brussels, where the event was held, I did not register for the event until the day before, can you believe it?
Last November 6th and 7th took place the annual Being Entrepreneurial Conference, this time it was the second edition. The first one was of great importance to me because I received the EntreComp Champion award from the European Commission. This year I wanted to enjoy again the great professionals and colleagues that belong to the EntreComp Community and defend a concept of entrepreneurship that is not the “property” of a few. Being entrepreneurial is about connecting, sharing, learning, exchanging opinions, experiences, and training actions, and recognizing those people and institutions that collaborate for an entrepreneurial society. That is what entrepreneurial education should be aimed at, among others, at least, it is what I think.
The event was organized by Bantani Education and this time it was held at the Museo de Historia Natural de Bruselas, a spectacular location near the European Parliament. Bantani is made up of a small team of people, 8 in total, but what 8! As soon as I arrived, there were Nagore, Maria, Marianela, and Megan, from the organizing team (I was looking forward to seeing them physically again!), Elin McCallum (director of Bantani Education, great hostess), Hazel Israel (what a great person and professional, recently recognized EntreComp Champion) and Paul Ranson (EntreComp Champion). The rest of the people who participated either as audience, speakers, panelists, or in the parallel sessions (I encourage you to take a look at the agenda), were worthwhile, and very much so.
In addition, I attended two panels: the first, moderated by Paul Ranson (University of Wales Trinity Saint David), on (How) We can open up access and innovation to entrepreneurial learning using emerging technologies such as generative Artificial Intelligence, with contributions from Dan Sivak (Thinqi), Altheo Valentini (EGINA), Dana Puia Morel (European Commission); the second, moderated by Olena Bekh (European Training Foundation), on the key competence entrepreneurship and its power to leverage skills change, which was completed by Raffaele Trapasso (OECD), Angela Solomon (TheirWorld) and Ulrike Pisiotis (European Commission).
Además, asistí a dos paneles: el primero, moderado por Paul Ranson (University of Wales Trinity Saint David), sobre (Cómo) Podemos abrir el acceso y la innovación al aprendizaje emprendedor usando tecnologías emergentes como la Inteligencia Artifical generativa, con contribuciones de Dan Sivak (Thinqi), Altheo Valentini (EGINA), Dana Puia Morel (Comisión Europea); el segundo, moderado por Olena Bekh (European Training Foundation), sobre la competencia clave emprendimiento y su poder para hacer de palanca de cambio de competencias, que se completó con Raffaele Trapasso (OECD), Angela Solomon (TheirWorld) y Ulrike Pisiotis (Comisión Europea).
I also actively participated in two workshops: the first, “Educators for impact-supporting higher education to develop impactful entrepreneurial learning,” facilitated by Hazel Israel (Bantani Education); the second, “Exploring scaffolding: working together key competencies in curriculum design,” facilitated by Olena Bekh (European Training Foundation) and Hazel Israel (as University of Wales Trinity Saint David).
But many other topics were also discussed, such as the EntreComp model, entrepreneurial educators (or my dear teacherpreneurs), women and entrepreneurship, the design of training actions that support entrepreneurs, the Sustainable Development Goals, the empowerment of women, or school and entrepreneurship. The pity was not being able to attend all the talks. We did have time to network (which I did) and to enjoy the new EntreComp Champion awards ceremony.
This time, I will remember especially the reunion with colleagues, the laughter, the desire and enthusiasm to continue working to be entrepreneurial and contribute to it, and I will keep with me a very interesting conversation I had with my colleague Filip burgelman (EntreComp Champion), architect of entrepreneurial education. Filip, we will have to pick up the conversation at some point, we still have some way to go.
Thanks for this great opportunity. I’m already looking forward to a new edition.