Train the Trainer Program in Entrepreneurial Engineering

Project introduction and background information

We define "Entrepreneurial Engineering" as the practice of innovating technology embedded in a context that is transdisciplinary, complex, and uncertain. Educating the entrepreneurial engineer requires new approaches that employ this definition. Our core assumption is that engineering discipline educators are the change agents for the transformation of engineering education into entrepreneurial engineering education.

Train the Trainer program in Entrepreneurial Engineering  creates a learning hub for engineering lecturers who are interested in bringing entrepreneurship and innovation theory and knowledge into their regular engineering courses. The learning hub includes theory-based sessions, online modules, workshops, coaching for course/module design, and a special interest group for entrepreneurial engineering lecturers.

Objective and expected outcomes

Our spesific objectives are:

•Enhancing the knowledge about the theory and practice of entrepreneurial engineering through design research.

•Contributing to the lecturers’ professional development through «entrepreneurial engineering» lens.

•Encouraging the transformation of engineering courses with incremental changes.

•Creating a community of practice to share and reflect on experience.

Results and learnings

• Our article reports on a two-decade Deweyan Inquiry into suitable scientific elements to enrich existing engineering education with theory about innovation and entrepreneurship: In search of the sciences of future making: In search of the sciences of future making: Delta sciences?! - TU Delft Research Portal
• Testimonials 

“The TTT program really helped me to understand theories about the process of innovating and to connect that to developments in my domain of health tech”

“Great idea to bring teachers the fundamentals of innovative, designerly and entrepreneurial behaviors. This helps me to embed some of that knowledge and insights in my existing
courses and make my students at least aware of the fundamentals related to innovation.”

“The TTT program enables lecturers to bring students a step ahead in handling the challenging transitions we’re facing today by being better prepared to push their innovative ideas forward. And teach them to avoid common mistakes.”

“The program provided me with a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical guidance on how to see ill-defined and wicked problems in my domain.”

Practical outcomes

• A small playground for experimenting with your engineering course design through AI: ChatGPT - Entrepreneurial Engineering Educator
• Our upcoming book project: Entrepreneurial Engineering Education in 4TU.CEE Higher Engineering Education research and Innovation (HEErI) book series
• Questions (for Engineering Educators) to Ask Yourself: Transforming Your Course with an Entrepreneurial Engineering Lens https://www.4tu.nl/.wh/ea/uc/f8d2cc5cd01033b4600009f3d4403116c57b9a0cf104700/qs-for-engineering-educators.pdf?whs-download=Qs%20for%20Engineering%20Educators.pdf 
• Glossary of Multi Level Factors Relevant for the Practice of Entrepreneurial Engineering https://www.4tu.nl/.wh/ea/uc/ff1ab2fa201033d4600009f3d440385b35c614c12a3d600/glossary-of-multi-level-factors-for-entrepreneurial-engineering-practice.pdf?whs-download=Glossary%20of%20Multi%20Level%20Factors%20for%20Entrepreneurial%20Engineering%20Practice.pdf
• Workshop | Embedding Entrepreneurial Mindsets into Engineering Education | 4TU.CEE | 25 April (tudelft.nl)
• Workshop | Embedding Entrepreneurial Mindsets into Engineering Education | 4TU.CEE | 23 May (tudelft.nl)
• Workshop | Embedding Entrepreneurial Mindsets into Engineering Education | 4TU.CEE | 20 June (tudelft.nl)
• Please see "The Entrepreneurial Engineer" newsletter edited by our Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Ufuk Gür on Linkedin: LinkedIn