Pre-University Honours Programme: Business Innovation & Entrepreneurship

About

Note: We have two cohorts for this programme. One beginning on the 1st of July 2025 and the other on the 15th of July 2025 (see our website for further details).

This summer programme is ideal for students who are considering pursuing a degree in business: however, no matter what you will study or the kind of career you are interested in, business innovation provides you with lifelong skills that are beneficial to numerous fields of expertise.

Throughout the duration of the summer programme, students will gain an in-depth overview of the exciting fast-paced fields of business innovation and entrepreneurship. Students will participate in theoretical lectures and discussions based on key texts that form the foundations of this field, as well as learn from inspiring guest lectures, about start-ups and business incubators in Amsterdam: a hotbed for young business innovation in recent years. Students will also spend time on developing their own start-up ideas, which they will pitch to by the end of the course.

Our pre-university programmes are designed for high school students to experience studying in a supportive international environment hosted by the University of Amsterdam. The lectures and all course materials are in English. Participants in the course will develop study skills and become acquainted with learning methods that will give them an advantage as they continue their education at university.

Course leader

Cohort 1 Director: Erik Dirksen (MSc) is a lecturer in Strategic Management at the Amsterdam Business School (ABS) of UvA. He started his career in 1976 as a lecturer in microeconomics, specializing in studying the planned economy of the Soviet Union. With the demise of that country, he became interested in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship. In 2001 he became involved in a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) currently known as SPARK, which started with organizing Summer Schools in former Yugoslavia , mostly in Kosovo. The aim was to bring people together in post-conflict areas. Soon it developed in an organization specializing in setting up Business Start-Up Centres, not only in South-East Europe , but also in Africa, like Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan , Sierra Leone, Liberia, again mostly in post-conflict areas. Between 2004 and 2017 Erik was chair of the board. The aim of SPARK is that not only former combatants, but also women become entrepreneurs. Al this led to a wide lecturing experience in Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Russia (West Siberia), Kosovo, Libya, Myanmar and research projects in Japan and Australia. In the UvA Summer School Programme he combines all these interests and experiences to give a dynamic view on entrepreneurship. Cohort 2 Director: Dr. J. Aldo Do Carmo was born in a time of many changes: twelve days after the release of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Are You Experienced’, and just two days before The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ – albums that reshaped the world. He has four masters degrees, including an MBA, and received his PhD in Cultural Economics from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. In addition to his 15 years of corporate experience, Dr. Do Carmo has taught all over the world and consults for cultural organizations in Brazil, the Netherlands and Sweden. Since 2010, Dr. Do Carmo has taught at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and Maastricht University on management, marketing, economics and entrepreneurship. He currently teaches Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Business School of the University of Amsterdam.

Target group

For current high school students (must be 16+) interested in business, entrepreneurship, economics, and the social and behavioural sciences.

Course aim

This Pre-University Honours Programme is focused on Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship. It is designed for high school students (16+) who are interested to learn the foundations and implications of the dynamics of innovation. Students will learn about the process of effectively crafting, formulating, and implementing a strategic direction for a company. This on-campus summer programme will bring together high school students from across the world to study an important topic at the university level.

Fee info

The fee above included both housing and tuition. Staying in housing is mandatory for all pre-university students.