Description
This file relating to report from the northern ireland centre for entrepreneurship.
UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER Paper No TLC/07/79
TEACHING AND LEARNING COMMITTEE Agenda Item 9
17 October 2007
A REPORT FROM THE NORTHERN IRELAND CENTRE FOR
ENTREPRENEURSHIP, (NICENT)
1 NICENT Phase 1
One of the key aims of the University, set out in its ‘Corporate Plan, 2006/7 to
2010/11’, is to establish itself as a sector leader in the promotion of creativity and
Innovation. A central plank in pursuit of this aim is the promotion of the
entrepreneurship agenda. NICENT, historically a partnership between the University
of Ulster, Queens University Belfast and Loughry Campus, was established in 2000
with a commission to build the level of awareness of the innovation and
entrepreneurship agenda and to encourage a greater degree of engagement with it
amongst students primarily but staff also within its partner institutions, specifically
within the faculties of Science, Engineering and Science, (SET). Funding for this first
phase came primarily from the Office of Science and Technology, (OST).
To progress its commission the Centre has been active in two key areas. Firstly it
has, in collaboration with colleagues within the SET faculties, sought to build a
greater awareness of innovation and entrepreneurship through the development and
promotion of appropriate curriculum interventions, including the development of core
learning outcomes for Entrepreneurship Awareness and an on-line module. The core
learning outcomes for Entrepreneurship Awareness were submitted for endorsement
in a report from the Centre to the Teaching and Learning committee meeting of
October 22nd, 2003. Please see appendix 1 for details.
The Centre has also actively encouraged student and staff involvement in a number
of enterprise competitions, primarily the £25k Enterprise Competition, developed
specifically to support interest in entrepreneurial new business venturing.
Although NICENT phase 1 formally concluded at the end of academic year 2004/5,
the project was continued during academic year 2005/6 and up to the end of
semester one of academic year 2006/7. Over the period of phase 1 of the project
over 6500 students within the SET faculties of the University have been exposed to
the ‘core’ learning outcomes for entrepreneurship awareness. In addition over 1,000
postgraduates, within the SET faculties primarily, underwent postgraduate training.
For further details on phase 1 statistics see appendix 2
2 NICENT Phase 2
The formal date of the launch of NICENT phase 2 was February 1st, 2007. This
second phase of the project is funded by Invest NI until March 2009. The project is a
partnership between the University of Ulster, (UU), and Queen’s University, Belfast,
(QUB). As in the previous phase UU is the lead partner.
Under this second phase the NICENT constituency has been extended to embrace
Non-SET Faculties and Schools and to promoting the Enterprise for Life agenda.
2.1 The key objectives of NICENT under phase 2 now are:
(a) To expand the work already progressed by NICENT within the SET
schools and faculties to the non-SET constituency of the universities.
(b) To develop aspects of an Enterprise for Life dimension, including the
development of enterprise attitudes and competencies, in particular in
students who may not see their career choices necessarily including the
idea of starting their own business.
(c) To continue to support the efforts of colleagues within the SET schools
and faculties to push the agenda for innovation and entrepreneurship
through ongoing curriculum development.
2.2 Personnel in NICENT under phase 2
Two Lecturers in Entrepreneurship have been appointed under phase 2, to support
the activities of faculties in embedding the learning outcomes in the curriculum.
Ms Sharon Porter was appointed in April 2007 and is based at Magee campus and
Dr. Cecilia Hegarty was appointed in May 2007 and is based at the Coleraine
campus. Both have responsibility to the Director for the Centre’s activities at the
Jordanstown and Belfast campuses.
Mr. Paul Brown was also appointed in May as Centre Administrator and his primary
function is to develop and manage the system for tracking the embedding of the
learning outcomes in the curriculum. Mrs Laughlin remains as Centre Secretary.
2.3 The Entrepreneurship agenda
The extension of NICENT’s agenda recognises that entrepreneurship is not just
about starting small businesses but is about the development of particular attitudes
and competencies within individuals that encourages and supports them in wanting
to pursue new ideas and to take action, despite risks and uncertainties, that make a
difference and adds value to their own lives and those of others. New business
venturing is one example of what entrepreneurial people do. But they are also active
in developing existing businesses, as well as new communities as entrepreneurial
employees and social entrepreneurs
At the meeting of the T&L committee in June 2003, members recognised this and
asked that the core learning outcomes presented then were reviewed in a way that
would make them more acceptable to a wider constituency beyond the SET and
those focused purely on new venturing. These were submitted to the meeting in
October 2003. With the extension of NICENT’s constituency now formally
acknowledged in phase 2 some minor refinements are proposed in order to clarify
how the core learning outcomes are pertinent to all constituencies with the
2
University, without exception. These refinements are outlined in the representation in
Appendix 3.
The Centre lodged its first report to Invest NI under phase 2 during the second
semester of the current academic year 2006/7. A total of 682 students were
exposed to the core learning outcomes for Entrepreneurship Awareness within SET
and non-SET faculties at undergraduate level and a total of 24 students within
postgraduate taught programmes undertook entrepreneurship training. Total actual
output for the academic year 2006/07 which reflects the end of phase 1 and the
beginning of phase 2 exceeded the total target by over 350 students at both
undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Although funded from another source, the Centre presented programmes for
entrepreneurship training to 177 members of the postgraduate research constituency
during the academic year 2006/7.
See appendix 4 for further details.
3
Appendix 1
The Core learning outcomes for Entrepreneurship Awareness as submitted to the
Teaching and Learning Committee, October 2003.
Knowledge and Understanding
• They will be able to define entrepreneurship, the entrepreneur, and the
entrepreneurial process
• They will be able to identify steps required to research the potential for a new
venture opportunity or innovation
• They will be able to examine the key resources available for new venture
creation
• They will be able to point out the key steps required for setting up a new
venture
Intellectual Qualities
• They will be able to recognise the central role of creativity and innovation in
entrepreneurship and the core challenges of protecting new ideas
Professional/Practical Skills
• They will be able to discuss the components of a new venture/project plan
and aspects of the planning process
Transferable/Key Skills
• They will be able to manipulate an e-learning environment
4
Appendix 2
Details of phase 1 Statistics
2000/
01
2001/
02
2002/
03
2003/
04
2004/
05
Total 2000/05 2005/
06
2006/
07
Actual
Total for
Phase 1
Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Target Actual Actual Actual for
Semester
1 only
UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER
Undergraduates 119 163 401 1555 1665 3128 3903 1646 1076 6625
Postgraduates 60 52 109 87 322 266 630 449 110 1189
UU Overall Total 179 215 510 1642 1987 3394 4533 2095 1186 7814
5
Appendix 3
The Core learning outcomes for Entrepreneurship Awareness refined to reflect the
extended constituency being addressed by NICENT and the enterprise for life agenda
Knowledge and Understanding
• Define what entrepreneurship is, consider how everyone has the potential to be
entrepreneurial, and to explore the constituents of the entrepreneurial process
• Identify steps required to research the potential for an innovative idea for the
development of an existing enterprise, a new venture or a social change
opportunity
• Examine the key resources required to exploit an innovative idea or opportunity to
develop an existing business, launch a new venture, or initiate a social enterprise
• Identify the key steps required for exploiting an innovative idea or opportunity to
develop an existing business, launch a new venture, or initiate a social enterprise
Intellectual Qualities
• Recognise the central role of creativity and innovation in entrepreneurship, in the
generation of new ideas and, where appropriate the core challenges of protecting
those new ideas which have commercial/social value
• Appreciate the significance within the entrepreneurial process of calculated risk-
taking, attitudes to failure and tolerance of uncertainty
Professional/Practical Skills
• Organise and utilise the components of the planning process in the development of
an innovative project or the exploitation of a new opportunity to develop an existing
business, launch a new venture, or initiate a social enterprise
• Communicate and sell innovative ideas effectively
Transferable/Key Skills
• Recognise the value and potential of innovative and entrepreneurial thinking for
effective problem solving and change management
• Recognise the core role of creativity and innovation in managing the
entrepreneurial process effectively
6
7
Appendix 4
Phase 2 NICENT Outcomes
2006/2007
Students
achieving core
Entrepreneurship
Awareness
Learning
Outcomes
Total
Target
Total
Actual
Target
(Semester 1)
Actual
( Semester 1)
INI Target
(Semester 2)
Actual
( Semester 2)
UNIVERSITY OF
ULSTER
Undergraduates
SET 1381 1702 556 1076 825 626
NON SET 30 56 0 0 30 56
Total 1411 1758 556 1076 855 682
Postgraduates
SET 40 69 40 45 0 24
NON SET 15 0 0 0 15 0
Total 55 69 40 45 15 24
Overall Total 1466 1827 596 1121 870 706
Graduate
Research Skills
Training (UU)
177
65
112
doc_278314335.pdf
This file relating to report from the northern ireland centre for entrepreneurship.
UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER Paper No TLC/07/79
TEACHING AND LEARNING COMMITTEE Agenda Item 9
17 October 2007
A REPORT FROM THE NORTHERN IRELAND CENTRE FOR
ENTREPRENEURSHIP, (NICENT)
1 NICENT Phase 1
One of the key aims of the University, set out in its ‘Corporate Plan, 2006/7 to
2010/11’, is to establish itself as a sector leader in the promotion of creativity and
Innovation. A central plank in pursuit of this aim is the promotion of the
entrepreneurship agenda. NICENT, historically a partnership between the University
of Ulster, Queens University Belfast and Loughry Campus, was established in 2000
with a commission to build the level of awareness of the innovation and
entrepreneurship agenda and to encourage a greater degree of engagement with it
amongst students primarily but staff also within its partner institutions, specifically
within the faculties of Science, Engineering and Science, (SET). Funding for this first
phase came primarily from the Office of Science and Technology, (OST).
To progress its commission the Centre has been active in two key areas. Firstly it
has, in collaboration with colleagues within the SET faculties, sought to build a
greater awareness of innovation and entrepreneurship through the development and
promotion of appropriate curriculum interventions, including the development of core
learning outcomes for Entrepreneurship Awareness and an on-line module. The core
learning outcomes for Entrepreneurship Awareness were submitted for endorsement
in a report from the Centre to the Teaching and Learning committee meeting of
October 22nd, 2003. Please see appendix 1 for details.
The Centre has also actively encouraged student and staff involvement in a number
of enterprise competitions, primarily the £25k Enterprise Competition, developed
specifically to support interest in entrepreneurial new business venturing.
Although NICENT phase 1 formally concluded at the end of academic year 2004/5,
the project was continued during academic year 2005/6 and up to the end of
semester one of academic year 2006/7. Over the period of phase 1 of the project
over 6500 students within the SET faculties of the University have been exposed to
the ‘core’ learning outcomes for entrepreneurship awareness. In addition over 1,000
postgraduates, within the SET faculties primarily, underwent postgraduate training.
For further details on phase 1 statistics see appendix 2
2 NICENT Phase 2
The formal date of the launch of NICENT phase 2 was February 1st, 2007. This
second phase of the project is funded by Invest NI until March 2009. The project is a
partnership between the University of Ulster, (UU), and Queen’s University, Belfast,
(QUB). As in the previous phase UU is the lead partner.
Under this second phase the NICENT constituency has been extended to embrace
Non-SET Faculties and Schools and to promoting the Enterprise for Life agenda.
2.1 The key objectives of NICENT under phase 2 now are:
(a) To expand the work already progressed by NICENT within the SET
schools and faculties to the non-SET constituency of the universities.
(b) To develop aspects of an Enterprise for Life dimension, including the
development of enterprise attitudes and competencies, in particular in
students who may not see their career choices necessarily including the
idea of starting their own business.
(c) To continue to support the efforts of colleagues within the SET schools
and faculties to push the agenda for innovation and entrepreneurship
through ongoing curriculum development.
2.2 Personnel in NICENT under phase 2
Two Lecturers in Entrepreneurship have been appointed under phase 2, to support
the activities of faculties in embedding the learning outcomes in the curriculum.
Ms Sharon Porter was appointed in April 2007 and is based at Magee campus and
Dr. Cecilia Hegarty was appointed in May 2007 and is based at the Coleraine
campus. Both have responsibility to the Director for the Centre’s activities at the
Jordanstown and Belfast campuses.
Mr. Paul Brown was also appointed in May as Centre Administrator and his primary
function is to develop and manage the system for tracking the embedding of the
learning outcomes in the curriculum. Mrs Laughlin remains as Centre Secretary.
2.3 The Entrepreneurship agenda
The extension of NICENT’s agenda recognises that entrepreneurship is not just
about starting small businesses but is about the development of particular attitudes
and competencies within individuals that encourages and supports them in wanting
to pursue new ideas and to take action, despite risks and uncertainties, that make a
difference and adds value to their own lives and those of others. New business
venturing is one example of what entrepreneurial people do. But they are also active
in developing existing businesses, as well as new communities as entrepreneurial
employees and social entrepreneurs
At the meeting of the T&L committee in June 2003, members recognised this and
asked that the core learning outcomes presented then were reviewed in a way that
would make them more acceptable to a wider constituency beyond the SET and
those focused purely on new venturing. These were submitted to the meeting in
October 2003. With the extension of NICENT’s constituency now formally
acknowledged in phase 2 some minor refinements are proposed in order to clarify
how the core learning outcomes are pertinent to all constituencies with the
2
University, without exception. These refinements are outlined in the representation in
Appendix 3.
The Centre lodged its first report to Invest NI under phase 2 during the second
semester of the current academic year 2006/7. A total of 682 students were
exposed to the core learning outcomes for Entrepreneurship Awareness within SET
and non-SET faculties at undergraduate level and a total of 24 students within
postgraduate taught programmes undertook entrepreneurship training. Total actual
output for the academic year 2006/07 which reflects the end of phase 1 and the
beginning of phase 2 exceeded the total target by over 350 students at both
undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Although funded from another source, the Centre presented programmes for
entrepreneurship training to 177 members of the postgraduate research constituency
during the academic year 2006/7.
See appendix 4 for further details.
3
Appendix 1
The Core learning outcomes for Entrepreneurship Awareness as submitted to the
Teaching and Learning Committee, October 2003.
Knowledge and Understanding
• They will be able to define entrepreneurship, the entrepreneur, and the
entrepreneurial process
• They will be able to identify steps required to research the potential for a new
venture opportunity or innovation
• They will be able to examine the key resources available for new venture
creation
• They will be able to point out the key steps required for setting up a new
venture
Intellectual Qualities
• They will be able to recognise the central role of creativity and innovation in
entrepreneurship and the core challenges of protecting new ideas
Professional/Practical Skills
• They will be able to discuss the components of a new venture/project plan
and aspects of the planning process
Transferable/Key Skills
• They will be able to manipulate an e-learning environment
4
Appendix 2
Details of phase 1 Statistics
2000/
01
2001/
02
2002/
03
2003/
04
2004/
05
Total 2000/05 2005/
06
2006/
07
Actual
Total for
Phase 1
Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Target Actual Actual Actual for
Semester
1 only
UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER
Undergraduates 119 163 401 1555 1665 3128 3903 1646 1076 6625
Postgraduates 60 52 109 87 322 266 630 449 110 1189
UU Overall Total 179 215 510 1642 1987 3394 4533 2095 1186 7814
5
Appendix 3
The Core learning outcomes for Entrepreneurship Awareness refined to reflect the
extended constituency being addressed by NICENT and the enterprise for life agenda
Knowledge and Understanding
• Define what entrepreneurship is, consider how everyone has the potential to be
entrepreneurial, and to explore the constituents of the entrepreneurial process
• Identify steps required to research the potential for an innovative idea for the
development of an existing enterprise, a new venture or a social change
opportunity
• Examine the key resources required to exploit an innovative idea or opportunity to
develop an existing business, launch a new venture, or initiate a social enterprise
• Identify the key steps required for exploiting an innovative idea or opportunity to
develop an existing business, launch a new venture, or initiate a social enterprise
Intellectual Qualities
• Recognise the central role of creativity and innovation in entrepreneurship, in the
generation of new ideas and, where appropriate the core challenges of protecting
those new ideas which have commercial/social value
• Appreciate the significance within the entrepreneurial process of calculated risk-
taking, attitudes to failure and tolerance of uncertainty
Professional/Practical Skills
• Organise and utilise the components of the planning process in the development of
an innovative project or the exploitation of a new opportunity to develop an existing
business, launch a new venture, or initiate a social enterprise
• Communicate and sell innovative ideas effectively
Transferable/Key Skills
• Recognise the value and potential of innovative and entrepreneurial thinking for
effective problem solving and change management
• Recognise the core role of creativity and innovation in managing the
entrepreneurial process effectively
6
7
Appendix 4
Phase 2 NICENT Outcomes
2006/2007
Students
achieving core
Entrepreneurship
Awareness
Learning
Outcomes
Total
Target
Total
Actual
Target
(Semester 1)
Actual
( Semester 1)
INI Target
(Semester 2)
Actual
( Semester 2)
UNIVERSITY OF
ULSTER
Undergraduates
SET 1381 1702 556 1076 825 626
NON SET 30 56 0 0 30 56
Total 1411 1758 556 1076 855 682
Postgraduates
SET 40 69 40 45 0 24
NON SET 15 0 0 0 15 0
Total 55 69 40 45 15 24
Overall Total 1466 1827 596 1121 870 706
Graduate
Research Skills
Training (UU)
177
65
112
doc_278314335.pdf