The first course on social entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Economics at the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski began in March. Its initiators and organizers are United Ideas for Bulgaria. The programme will also include experts from the Rinker Center for Entrepreneurship and Training at the BCause Foundation.
The course is optional for Bachelors and Masters in the Faculty of Economics and is open to all those interested in social entrepreneurship. It aims to prepare students for the real world of business by setting examples of successful social enterprises in Bulgaria, Kenya, South Africa and the United States. Students will be able to acquire practical knowledge and skills related to building, financing and managing a social enterprise. By discussing case studies from Bulgaria and the world, students will learn the main steps, challenges and goals in the design phases, launching and scaling up successful entrepreneurial initiatives with a social element.
The content of the course includes analyzes of different business structures, resource management methods, team structure and good practices to achieve enterprise sustainability. Students will look at strategies, risks, and challenges when starting and managing a social enterprise.
The practical direction of the course, at the expense of a very limited theoretical set-up, is a major advantage of the subject. The course includes case studies, each examining the following factors:
1. Sustainability - Social enterprise revenue channels, methods to ensure a long-term vision for development.
2. Impact and Success Measuring - Effect of the social enterprise (social effect, impact on target groups), methodology for measuring the impact of the social enterprise and its effectiveness.
3. Innovation - Types of social innovation, process of creation and growth.
Part of the case studies that are provided for students include:
1) Danimal - Corporate product development for the poorest part of the population in South Africa;
2) Care - creating and managing an initiative to lay the foundations for a business environment in Kenya's agricultural sector.
3) Taratantsi - creation and financing of a sustainable business model for social entrepreneurship in Bulgaria aimed at the development of culture.
4) Listen up- Structuring a successful business model of a social enterprise aimed at empowering people with hearing disabilities
5) Ruby Cup - product validation, pricing and distribution targeting third world women.
6) Endeavor - building strategy and tactics for rapid growth of a social enterprise in an international environment, challenges to growth.
The course features guest lecturers, experienced professionals in the field of social entrepreneurship.
The course starts on 2 March 2017 at the Faculty of Economics at Tsarigradsko shose 125 Blvd. The lectures will take place every Thursday from 18:30 in hall 300.
Do not forget to register: https://goo.gl/e0mDC1
