DkIT Secures Major EU Award for Enterprise Promotion

06 December 2019

Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) was confirmed as a National Winner of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) 2019 at the SME Assembly in Helsinki Finland.

This is the second time that the Institute has received this accolade which recognises initiatives from across Europe that successfully promote the entrepreneurial mindset, especially to diverse target groups and to reflect the needs of industry and communities.

DkIT was presented with the ‘Creating the Entrepreneurial Spirit’ award for the development of its Community Entrepreneurship module which is delivered as part of the BA in Community Youth Work programme.

This interdisciplinary module explores the increasing role for entrepreneurship in a complex world of community development. It was designed to equip students who aspire to work in the community sector with both entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial skills. As part of the module, students are encouraged to examine the development of social enterprises, which strive to achieve and target economic, social and environmental solutions.

Speaking today, DkIT President, Michael Mulvey, PhD said,

I am delighted that the institute has once again been recognised for its pioneering work in the area of enterprise education. Entrepreneurship is part of the DNA of our region and it is very much part of the ethos at DkIT. Our embedded approach to entrepreneurship education aims to introduce students from all discipline to enterprise learning environments where they can develop desirable graduate attributes such as creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and of entrepreneurship. I would like to congratulate the staff and students in the School of Business & Humanities for continuing to drive innovation in this field.”

Also speaking today, Angela Hamouda, Lecturer in Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation in the School Business & Humanities, added,

I was delighted and honoured to represent Ireland and DkIT at this year's SME Assembly and the European Enterprise Promotion Awards. The Assembly is an incredible platform bringing together policy makers, practitioners and academics from all over Europe. This award is for the Community Youth Work students and graduates at DKIT and the amazing socially innovative ideas they develop - they are potential community change agents of the future.”

The Community Entrepreneurship modules is one of many DkIT initiatives delivered as part of enterprise promotion and developing the entrepreneurial mindset amongst students. This year, the School Business & Humanities launched its 2019 Entrepreneurship Guest Lecture Series which includes an exciting programme of guest lectures and panel discussions from leading academics in the field as well as dynamic entrepreneurs. Additionally, students are given the platform to develop and showcase their ideas to a cross disciplinary panel and are encouraged to enter competitions at local, national and international level.

In 2016, DkIT was identified by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as one of the leading institutes in Ireland for embedding entrepreneurship in higher education and was featured in a published case study of best practice. More recently, in 2018, Angela Hamouda was awarded the Joint Winner of the prestigious International Award for Teaching Excellence in Entrepreneurship in Innovation in Aveiro, Portugal.