The students of the University of Caen Normandy are invited to join a European training programme dedicated to sustainable entrepreneurship: EU2SE, which stands for “European upskilling of students for sustainable entrepreneurship”. What is the reason behind this programme? What courses are offered? Which countries are involved? Haïfa Naffakhi, senior lecturer in management sciences, and Clotilde Nicolle, project manager at the Carré International, present their project.

How was the EU2SE programme born?

Clotilde Nicolle. This project is part of the university’s strategy to develop international mobility. Each year, the Erasmus+ programme issues requests for proposals to support training projects at the European level, lasting between two and three years. We offered to our partners in the AcrossEU network, with whom we have close relationships, to submit a shared project on  sustainable entrepreneurship. The universities of Lapland UAS (Finland), Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje (North Macedonia), and Valladolid (Spain) then decided to join us.

Haïfa Naffakhi.  Clotilde presented this opportunity to me. The deadlines were very short: we had only three months to set up this project with our partners. The file is around a hundred pages long and requires great precision: we had to explain the concept, list the objectives, set the timeline for each action. Setting up this project involved a lot of discussions and many online meetings, with also some misunderstandings, sometimes, about each other’s ways of working… That’s the beauty of intercultural exchanges! Our project was accepted, which is excellent news, especially as such submissions are rarely selected on the first attempt.

How will this programme take place?

Haïfa Naffakhi. The selection phase for candidates is currently ongoing, until January 10, 2025. Ten students from all fields, from third-year undergraduate to doctoral level, will be selected in each of the four partner universities. The programme will take place during six weeks, in March and April 2025, with five hours of online training per week. The idea is to introduce them to innovation and entrepreneurship, giving them the opportunity to work in teams with students from different nationalities and fields. The programme will mainly focus on introducing tools, methods, and approaches used in entrepreneurship, while also addressing key concepts: sustainable development, cybersecurity, prototyping… For 2025, the main theme will be “Intelligent food packaging and green technologies.”

At the end of these five weeks of training, all the participants will meet in North Macedonia to design a solution to this year’s issue related to food waste. The project will be renewed in 2026, on theme of care and health:  on this occasion, the University of Caen Normandy will host the second school year of the EU2SE programme.

Clotilde Nicolle. What is sought with this type of project With this type of project, we want to foster intercultural exchanges on short periods. The conclusion is clear: international mobility does not attract enough students. Financial reasons, low English level, difficulties to look to the future… the obstacles are many. This type of short, structured, and supported mobility, is a win-win for students!

What support can the Carré International offer to teachers who would like to submit similar programmes?

Clotilde Nicolle. If other teachers wish to submit a project… my door is always open! The European Commission publishes a request for proposals every year, and the themes are entirely open to the imagination of teachers. The most important is willing to build a network and introduce new working methodologies through hybrid mobility. These projects are real opportunities for international outreach: since the launch of the EU2SE programme, we have received proposals from our partners to take part in new projects.

Haïfa Naffakhi. English is often a barrier for teacher-researchers who would like to get involved in this type of programme. The Erasmus+ file must be written in English, which is also the common language among all our partners. The Carré International offers lessons to improve your English and to internationalise training programmes. Thanks to this offer, I now feel more comfortable with conversational and professional English. It’s a great opportunity!