Social Entrepreneurship: Solving Societal Problems Using Innovative Business Models

Social entrepreneurs are continuously striving to align their business model with their mission to achieve social impact on the local and/or global scale. In this course within the track "Entrepreneurial Side of Business", we will elaborate on innovative approaches from the side of, for example, legislators, policy makers and financiers. The course adopts a mix of (guest) lectures, experiential learning and case studies and includes a visit to a social enterprise.

Social entrepreneurs discern opportunities for solving problems in society and realize this with a philosophy that does justice to all parties concerned. Social entrepreneurship is a ‘hot topic’ that is confronted with significant challenges - both in theory and in practice. Social entrepreneurs are continuously striving to align their business model with their mission to achieve social impact on the local and/or global scale. This also calls for innovative approaches from the side of, for example, legislators, policy makers and financiers.
The course takes a multidisciplinary view on social entrepreneurship and as such draws on the Utrecht University Social Entrepreneurship Initiative (www.uu.nl/se-initiative).
This course is the third course of the track "Entrepreneurial Side of Business" (1. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice - 2. Strategic Entrepreneurship - 3. Social Entrepreneurship - 4. Entrepreneurial Marketing)

Course leader

drs. Peter O. van der Meer

Target group

Students in the final phase of their bachelor/ undergraduate studies.

Course aim

The course aims to create awareness of the different types of social entrepreneurship, to support you in your ambition to solve societal problems (whether as an entrepreneur or not) and to share examples of opportunities and barriers that social entrepreneurs may face. You will also get acquainted with methods to measure social impact.

Fee info

EUR 495: Course fee
EUR 200: Housing fee