Centre for Entrepreneurship – Han University

HAN University (or ‘Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen’) is a higher education institute with approximately 17,000 students, 3,500 external students and 1,600 staff. Han University ranks among the top 10 professional universities in the Netherlands. HAN University is situated in the east of the Netherlands, about 1.5 hours by car from Amsterdam.

Centre for Entrepreneurship
For students who are interested in entrepreneurship, want to start their own company or want to take over a business, the Centre for Entrepreneurship (CvO) (or ‘Centrum voor Ondernemerschap’) can be of service. The CvO is the expertise centre from the HAN University focused on ‘knowledge-intensive’ starters.

The CvO offers students and alumni as (upcoming) entrepreneurs the chance to develop their skills and talents. Not to make them an entrepreneur, that is something people have to do themselves. But to offer instruments and facilities which makes a business start-up and/or growth of a small- to medium Enterprise (SME) more likely. Some of the products the CvO offers are:

• Educational package for the orientation phase
• Mini-business
• Modules providing ‘SME’ skills and knowledge
• Tailored study programme (dual programme)
• Assessment
• Supervision (incl. mentor)
• Supervision before and during start-up
• Advice to SMEs

The CvO acts also as a bridge to entrepreneurs and intermediary organisations, who are willing to participate in initiatives to help students as (potential) entrepreneurs with (the preparation of) an career in entrepreneurship. As an entrepreneurial organisation it is important to come with new initiatives. This year the CvO introduces several new initiatives.

A first initiative is the introduction of the education ‘University Certificate Entrepreneurship’ (or ‘HBO-Certificaat Ondernemerschap’). The HAN is the first University in the Netherlands that offers this education. In four courses - business plan, entrepreneurial skill’s, marketing en financial management- we teach the principles of entrepreneurship.

A second initiative is the cooperation between the HAN University and FHG University from Bocholt in Germany. The CvO starts in January 2004 with a special programme for Dutch and German students who are interested in entrepreneurship and international business. The HAN and the FHG have chosen for an intensive cooperation to stimulate entrepreneurship and to bring (potential) entrepreneurs from this region in contact with each other. Main target is to stimulate interregional cooperation. Another international programme that starts in the same period is ‘International Business and Entrepreneurship’. Target groups are foreign and Dutch students who are interested in entrepreneurship and international business.

A third initiative is the presentation of the results of a survey from the Nijmegen School of Management, Chamber of Commerce Centraal Gelderland and the Centre of Entrepreneurship. In 2003 about 1.300 entrepreneurs, who have started their company between the year 2000 and 2002, where asked several questions about characteristics of the entrepreneur, their company en the environment they operate. Main subject was development of the (social) networks from the entrepreneurs. The target of the survey was to get a better view how entrepreneur use their networks. A better view of networks of entrepreneurs gives intermediary organisations the chance to come to a more effective use of the instruments to stimulate and support entrepreneurship.