The COEUR Project (Busi­ness Creativity)

Every September 30 to 40 students from different universities in Europe (such as Finland, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Scotland) gather together in an isolated location to participate in the COEUR workshop and create NEW IDEAS for Europe.

Based on the principle of DIVERSITY groups of participants are formed, in which they have to create an idea, evaluate its potential and finally provide a concrete value proposition. At the end of the 5-day workshop, the interculturally mixed teams present their value proposition in front of a jury.

The COEUR workshops look back on a tradition of 14 years, having taken us to many different places in Europe, reaching from Lisbon to Helsinki, from Dijon to Wroclaw and in-between. Workshops in Guangzhou (China) and Florianopolis (Brazil) were held to develop an understanding for entrepreneurial cultures around the globe.

Facts about the COEUR Workshop

• Participation as part of Studium Integrale in the 2nd or 4th semester/5 ECTS
• Only in the winter semester
• 5 days of workshop at a location abroad
• Intercultural team work + entrepreneurial education
• Costs: approx. €350 (full board, excluding flight)

20th COEUR EuroPreneurship Workshop
12. – 18. September 2024
Wroclaw University of Economics and Business (Breslau, Poland)

COEUR Business Creativity Module (BCM) is the second learning opportunity students can choose. In contrast to the COEUR Workshop, BMC runs during the regular semester time. Based on the COEUR principles groups of international students are formed to achieve diversity.

The group members communicate online and hence are working in VIRTUAL TEAMS. Within these teams a value proposition has to be created and finally presented in front of a jury (entrepreneurs, investors, etc.) – all based on an online communication system.

Students choosing this alternative not only learn about business creativity, but also practice virtual team work, which tends to become more important in the future.

Facts about BCM

• Participation as part of Studium Integrale in the 2nd or 4th semester/5 ECTS
• Only in the summer semester
• During the whole semester
• Intercultural and virtual team work + entrepreneurial education

• Eickhoff, M./Trigo, V./Turnbull, A./Dyczkowski, T. (2014): COEUR: Developing Business Creativity and Entrepreneurship in European University Networks, in: Journal Advances in Higher Education, Volume 6, Issue 1/2014, pp. 76-101.
• Eickhoff, M. (2014): Zehn Jahre COEUR - A European Dream, in: Jahrbuch 2013/14 des Fachbereichs Wirtschafts der Fachhochschule Mainz, Mainz 2014.
• Eickhoff, M./Turbull, A.: Business Creativity: A New Educational Challenge for European Students. Presentation at the XV International Scientific Conference: Human Capital and Investment in Education, Prague, September 2012.
• Eickhoff, M./Dyczkowski, T. (2012): Creative in Diversity: Developing Entrepreneurial Talents in European University Networks - Experiences from an Intercultural, (Blended-) Team-learning Opportunity. In preparation (Abstract accepted) for the 17th Nordic Conference on Small Business Research, Helsinki, May 2012.
• Eickhoff, M./Turnbull, A. (2011): All Business is Glocal: The Importance of a Regional Entrepreneurship Culture. Experiences from the COEUR-Project - Competence in EuroPreneurship. Paper presented to the conference "Entrepreneurship and new venture creation - International models and benchmarks" at the Indian Institute of Management at Bangalore (India), December 9, 2011.   
• Turnbull, A./Eickhoff, M. (2011): Business Creativity - Innovating European Entrepreneurship Education.Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Special Issue: Entrepreneurial Marketing: Volume 24, Issue 1/2011, pp. 139-150.
• Kardasz, A./Dyczkowski, T. (2009): Discovering the Entrepreneurial Potential in Differences between Europe and China. Paper presented at the 3rd Polish-Chinese-German serial conference in Opole, Poland on October 14-16, 2009.
• Eickhoff, M./Müller, S. (2008): The ‘COEUR’ - University Network: Experiences with Joint Learning Opportunities in European Entrepreneurship Education. CIDD Papers on International Business Education, No (2) Paris.
• Eickhoff, M. / Müller, S. (2008): The Business Creativity Module (BCM): Pilot Run of a Joint European Course educating Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation, paper for the G-Forum 2008, 6th-7th November 2008, Dortmund.