Type of course

Transdisciplinary

Online module followed by 5-day intensive course

Admission requirements

Prerequisites: None.

This course is aimed at PhD students and researchers (including PostDocs) from all research areas from social sciences and humanities to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The course is generally open for applicants holding a Master’s degree. If you aim to include the credits from the course in your 30 mandatory PhD ECTS you should discuss this with both your supervisor and your faculty.

The course has maximum 30 seats. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available, applicants will be ranked in the following order:

• 16 seats are reserved for EUGLOH universities
• PhD students at UiT
• Participants in the Associate Professor programme at UiT (must hold a Master´s degree)
• Registered PhD students from other Norwegian universities
• People with a minimum of a Master´s degree (or equivalent), who have not been admitted to a PhD programme (i.e. PostDocs)

Holders of a Master´s degree must upload a Master´s Diploma with Diploma Supplement / English translation of the diploma and must document proficiency in English. A detailed list of various criteria to qualify for English language proficiency can be found here: English proficiency

The course will be cancelled if less than 10 participants.

Registration

PhD candidates at UiT register for classes and exam in StudentWeb before 1 February. The registration starts in middle of December.

Other applicants apply for admission through SøknadsWeb before 1 December. Application code: 9301.For applicants who are granted a seat, a study right will be created, and these applicants apply for a seat by registering for classes in StudentWeb before 1 December.

The study right gives the applicant admission to register to other open PhD courses or apply for a seat to PhD courses where entry is limited.

• Contact admissio@uit.no if you have troubles regarding submission of application and if you have not received answer on your application for admission.

• If you need support to register for the course after getting admitted to UiT, contact ingjerd.nilsen@uit.no at the BFE-faculty.

Course content

This course on innovation and entrepreneurship supports doctoral candidates across all disciplines to develop an enterprising mindset and understand how innovation works. Entrepreneurship, teamwork and networking are elements that are increasingly important for PhD candidates that want to succeed in and outside of academia and especially for those that see a potential for commercialization in their research work.

Using a challenge-based problem-solving approach, course participants will expand their disciplinary comfort zone and develop their creativity by trying to solve challenges given to them at the beginning of the course. Participants will work in small and diverse groups over one week and go together through an entrepreneurial journey to solve these challenges by developing a (virtual) venture. The journey starts with a creative brainstorming session to identify solutions to the problem and ends with a pitch that will be evaluated by an expert panel.

Innovation is a concept closely related to entrepreneurship and Norwegian universities have a strong interest in contributing to regional innovation. Course participants will learn how innovation works and what its main facets and realizations are. A visit to the company Norinnova AS (https://norinnova.no/en/) that will showcase the development of local ventures, present how UiT supports spin-off creation by PhD and Master students, and provide information on financing opportunities in Norway and in Europe. Additionally, invited guest lecturers will offer practical insights into the process of entrepreneurship.

Objectives of the course

Knowledge

• Understanding innovation and its relation to entrepreneurship
• Knowledge about the hypothesis driven start-up approach
• Fundamental concepts of financial accounting
• Understanding how to start university-based spin-offs and access to funding opportunities

Skills

Course participants will acquire skills in three competencies areas that constitute the foundations of entrepreneurship:

Ideas and Opportunities

• Spotting opportunities
• Creativity
• Vision
• Valuing ideas
• Ethical and sustainable thinking

Resources

• Self-awareness and self-efficacy
• Motivation and perseverance
• Mobilising resources
• Financial and economic literacy
• Mobilising others

Action

• Taking the initiative
• Planning & management
• Coping with uncertainty, ambiguity, and risk
• Working with others
• Learning through experience

General competence

• Develop of an enterprising mind-set, which that will allow the participants to create value in any domain and possible value chain (private, public, and third sectors, as well as in any combination of them)
• Can assess the need for, initiate and practice innovation inside and outside of academia
• Can manage interdisciplinary projects and develop innovative ideas and projects

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods

There will be an online self-paced module with an assignment that has to be submitted two weeks before the intensive course in Tromsø. The course will use a combination of lectures, guest lectures from academic entrepreneurs, assignments in smaller groups, and presentations in plenary sessions.

Schedule

Online module followed by 5-day intensive course

Online module will be open 15. February 2025

Intensive week in Tromsø 2-6 June2025

“Co-pilot: Sara Correia Neves, University of Porto

Recommended reading/syllabus

Will be made available on Canvas

Pilot and support:

Pilot: Yajie Liu, The Norwegian College of Fishery Science, UiT

Co-pilot: José Coelho Rodrigues, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, University of Porto

Co-pilot: Sara Correia Neves, University of Porto

Support: Michaela Aschan, The Norwegian College of Fishery Science, UiT

Admin: Ireen Vieweg, High North Academy, UiT