IBA LAB I

Course Objective
"The purpose of an organization is to enable ordinary humans beings to do extraordinary things." — Peter Drucker

This course is an experimental and experiential learning lab. It is aiming at a collaborative, hands-on learning experience to develop an entrepreneurial attitude. It is also aiming at creating a concrete business result. At the end of the course, students should be able to:

Academic & Research skills:

1. do applied research and experiments and report out on the results of the experiments

2. Show a critical mastery of important and state-of-the art theoretical models in the areas of strategic management, innovation, and social entrepreneurship (theoretical knowledge) with a focus on co-creation and design thinking.

Bridging theory and practice

1. apply the right theoretical models to real-life problems in order to be better equipped for your future position in society.

2. new ways of working and with new perspectives on your field of studies, on problems in society and your own role in it. Its about daring to colour outside the lines in productive ways

Broadening your horizon

1. develop a view on problems in society and how they can be solved by venturing, organising and innovating

2. create solutions that fit the criteria of being impactful, of being socially relevant and of helping people.

Self-awareness

1. show self directed learning and be a reflective practitioner, using reflection to course correct

2. learn to intervene in a process, in a group and in a system

Course Content
"Real growth comes through intense, difficult, and challenging situations" ― Kamal Ravikant

Creating like your life depends on it.

Design thinking will be taught so students can apply this way of working to their business idea where curiosity and asking questions are central. The first part of the course will involve an on site design thinking

workshop to help an organization solve their problem. This is the practice round before the students start working on their own business to create something new with impact. This business idea should result in a concrete entity with impact on society, with funding, with a business plan and with people running the business.

Asking questions like your life depends on it.

The students will learn test their ideas by doing experiments and to analyse and report on the experimental results. Applied research and doing experiments will be part of the methods approach to this course

supporting the development of the business idea.

Organising like your life depends on it.

Students will learn about systems thinking and intervening in a group or a system. Students will learn to make decisions and protecting the downside of their decision while focusing on the upside. Students will

learn about co-creative processes and idea generation in order to build their business.

Reflecting like your life depends on it.

On the personal side the course will challenge students to learn to use their faculties to rapidly adapt and reflect. In this course your personal development is placed central, with you as the project leader. Through self-directed and continuous learning, you will take charge of the development you need to go through to be able to actually set up the business. Guiding you throughout will be your personal development plan

that you set up at the start of this course.

Additional Information Teaching Methods
“If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.”
― Albert Einstein

When you look around in society what problems do you observe that you would want to address? From the threat of war, social inequalities, the lack of safe spaces to sustainability, there are so many issues we face.
Your focus in this course is on developing (and in Learning Lab II implementing) a social entrepreneurial solution to a real-life problem in a free format. The student will be supported in developing innovative and impactful business ideas in a collaborative way by teaching, tutoring, coaching and training. During this course students will be pushed to leave the hypothetical behind and get your hands dirty in a safe learning
environment. This we will achieve in part through a series of field trips we will take during this course, initiated by both us as well as you and your fellow students.
- Go through a one-week design sprint at a local organisation
- Be present in an inspiring co-creation space for 2 days a week
- Teamwork and coaching on the job
- Field trips organized by the students
- Presentations your work to a combination of experts, students, and academics

Method of Assessment

• Practical assignment - individual
• Practical assignment - group
• Participation assignments