Tempus

       The TEMPUS Entrepreneur Alumni NETwork (EANET) project is a project funded under the European Commission’s Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). The Grant Agreement (544521-TEMPUS-1-2013-1-DE-TEMPUS-SMHES) signed between the Grant holder, Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HVA), HVA being the Coordinator of the project and the EACEA on 28-4-2014. The project duration is envisaged for 3 years, it can be prolonged until all the objectives of the project are reached.

       The project is focused on creating of a working international entrepreneurial ecosystem of entrepreneur alumni, young founders, so that universities, companies and more students, graduates and HEI staff would be able to get in contact with the entrepreneurial world. New start-ups will arise.

       Wider objective of the EANET project is to establish Entrepreneur Alumni Networks (EAN) at 11 HEIs in Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia which support the entrepreneurial spirit among students, scientists and alumni and raise an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine

              Specific project objectives are

• to create entrepreneurship-related associations at HEIs
• to create international entrepreneurial networks of universities, experts, external cooperation partners, companies and entrepreneurs
• to reduce graduates’ unemployment by supporting young founders and create international jobs and internships in start-ups
• to promote active alumni work and act as role models for other alumni associations
• to create fundraising structures (each participating HEI should be financially independent at the end of EANET funding).

       Principal outputs of the project are nine “Entrepreneur Alumni Network Associations” set up by each HEI following individual tailor-made implementation concepts for each HEI. Based on an EA database each association will fill its structure with life acquiring members by offering attractive services and incentives, organising regular networking events and offering an EANET prize to especially active members. Highlight events and social networking media serve the purpose to link EA, business sector and university and to internationally connect the regional EAN associations. To guarantee the know-how transfer and improve the project quality especially designed blended learning trainings will take place in Germany and the Netherlands. Being a relatively new EU member country, Iasi, the Romanian partner, additionally builds up a bridge between Western Europe and the partner countries Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.

       The structural measure realized by EANET is comparatively easy to sustain due to the lean        organizational structures and the key role of entrepreneurial Alumni making contacts to industry and government opening up new sources of funding.

Website: www.tempuseanet.info