Jordan youth will be in best hands to learn business
On July 12&13, Al Hussein Technical University (HTU) in Amman, hosted a two-day workshop on entrepreneurship and LEAN start-up. This was facilitated by SPARK and attended by two other Jordanian universities who wanted to explore new ways of teaching entrepreneurship.
Educating minds to be self-reliant
Dr. Bram Kuijken, Assistant Professor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, conducted the ToT workshop by eagerly sharing his expertise gained at the faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Amsterdam. In his courses, students set up real businesses within one semester, a unique approach in this field. This practical experience enables students to create their own jobs as well as experience to face the labour market.
Dr. Kuijken found the workshop truly rewarding: “It was great to see all the enthusiasm in the room and to experience the willingness of the participants to improve their entrepreneurship education in order to be able to provide their students with important skills needed to set up a business.”
Putting practice above theory
The workshop attendees were from different Jordanian universities such as the German-Jordanian University and some faculty members from HTU. Dr. Mohammad J Alawamleh, from the American University of Madaba was among them.
He agreed on the importance of practical knowledge over theoretical knowledge and said: “It was a great course. It expanded my knowledge to move towards practical knowledge rather than teaching theories. I will advise my students to build their business model as soon as possible: the earlier you start to build, the more original ideas are in your head and the sooner you can validate your assumptions.”
Students can be taught how to write business plans, conduct market researches and foresee opportunities and threats. these are the skills that can create a successful business out of an idea and can only be gained through practice.
Smarter minds create jobs instead of looking for them
Unemployment among university degree holders in Jordan is 21.4% which is at its highest rate in 25 years. The Crown Prince Foundation (CPF) recently established HTU to create more job opportunities for the unemployed. The university will offer a platform that will support initiatives by Jordanian youths. To make this happen, earlier this year, HTU teamed up with SPARK to work on the development of its entrepreneurship curriculum. SPARK’s collaboration with HTU falls under its Improving Employment Opportunities Programme funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs .
Related news
-
News
Earthquake-Affected SMEs join DAHIL Closing & B2B Event
-
News
€375,000 in grant support SMEs affected by earthquakes in Türkiye
The devastating earthquakes that struck the southeast provinces of Türkiye in February, not only caused loss of life and property…
-
News
Global Entrepreneurship Week 2023
SPARK celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week by highlighting the work of five entrepreneurs across the globe, who have transformed ideas into…
-
News
SPARK mourns the loss of partners in Gaza. Education institutions are not a target.
SPARK continues to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza amid continued destruction of civilian lives and education organisations.
-
News
October at SPARK
-
News
NAMA Competition’s Fourth Edition: Supporting Innovation and Recognising Entrepreneurship in Türkiye
NAMA competition is back for its fourth edition, continuing its support for Syrian refugee entrepreneurs in Türkiye. Twenty Startups had…
-
Event
IGNITE North Africa: Here’s what you missed
-
Report
2022 Annual Report
The Annual Report provides comprehensive information on SPARK’s activities throughout the preceding year. Published with the approval of the Supervisory…
-
News
Enhancing Trauma Awareness and Psychosocial Support in Türkiye’s Earthquake Zone
In collaboration with Hacettepe University, SPARK has developed training for university staff in the earthquake-affected regions, which equips faculty members…
-
SPARK’s Statement on devastating floods in Libya
-
630 young professionals kick off their tech journey through the Palestine Launchpad programme with Google
-
Street art murals in Amman celebrates entrepreneurs with sustainable missions
-
70 unemployed Gazan youth now securing jobs through newfound tech skills