Budapest Business University

Digital marketing: Theory & Practice in Visegrad region

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

Financed directly by Visegrad Fund

Project reference number: 22420081

Project duration: 01/10/2024–31/03/2026

Grant received: 9.870 EUR, BBU does not receive any direct funding (accommodation and living expenses for colleagues attending a face-to-face workshop are funded)

International consortium, role of BBS, members of the BBU team

Applicant:

·        Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra

Partners:

·        Budapest Business University

·        Krakow University of Economics

·        Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

BBU core team:

Faculty of International Management and Business, Department of Marketing

·        Titanilla Oravecz, PhD, project leader

·        Dávid, Harsányi, PhD, project member

·        Csilla Rimóczi, PhD, project member

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

The project will address the issue of improving and increasing hard skills in digital marketing among students, teachers, business representatives, people working or seeking to work in the field of marketing. The project will create educational materials (textbook and online course) with case studies and tutorials. The textbook will provide fundamental and current knowledge about digital marketing and its tools applied in the business sphere complemented with interesting case studies from the Visegrad region. Moreover, the online course will provide important hard skills in digital marketing with an emphasis on Google Analytics and AI in marketing. As a result, we expect a positive change in the local community: at the local level (universities) we will prepare up-to-date educational materials and improve teaching methods, at the regional level we will educate future highly qualified employees in the field of digital marketing.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

The added value of our project will be related to creating very complex educational materials involving the textbook entitled "Digital marketing: Theory & Practice in Visegrad region" and an interactive online course covering that are crucial for digital marketing specialists with emphasis on hard skills within Google analytics. The textbook will include knowledge from current literature review, but information from the business world in the form of real case studies from all participating countries. Furthermore, the project will map the current level of skills in digital marketing among students and staff members at university by implementing survey research. The results will be published in a form of scientific paper as well as a form of short report. Acquired results will be compared with business expectations and requirements which will help us to establish better picture of current situation in the labour market in Visegrad region. To learn about the requirements of the business sector, we will analyse current job offers for positions related to digital marketing. For this purpose, we will use content analysis. The innovation of our project is related to the combination of approaches - researching both students and the labour market, but it also lies in the exchange of knowledge between academic staff teaching marketing from all V4 countries. Within the consortium, we can share not only our knowledge but also good practices in teaching more interactively, including non-formal learning methods.

Those involved in the project are from the higher education sector:

·          1,000 students: the project partners will make the educational materials available to students at their own universities, the educational materials will be freely accessible. They will participate in quantitative research.

·          200 teachers: The project partners will make the teaching materials available to teachers at their own universities, the teaching materials will be freely accessible. They will participate in quantitative research.

In addition:

·        200 key marketing experts from the Visegrad region will support the development of teaching materials with case studies and concrete examples

·        200 SMEs from the Visegrad region, case studies and concrete examples to support curriculum development

The citation rate for publications with partner universities is expected to be very high, thanks to cross-border cooperation. The nature of the project provides scope for future development (e.g. research on soft skills and curriculum development) and research directions, and the current successful international cooperation could greatly support the launch of further joint projects.

Outputs:

·        International textbook entitled "Digital marketing: Theory & Practice in Visegrad region": The textbook will provide current knowledge and information from the world of digital marketing as well as case studies from the Visegrad region. The main topics: introducing digital marketing, digital environment and marketing mix, digital marketing strategies, online marketing communication, social media, SEO, e-commerce, google analytics, AI and IoT, content marketing and copywriting, digital customer & segmentation, case studies in V4, etc.

·        Online course entitled "Hard skills in digital marketing": The online course will provide selected hard skills in digital marketing using interactive Moodle platform. The main focus will be managing Google Analytics (implementation, data analysis as well as reporting). The course will also include a short vocabulary of fundamental terms in digital marketing.

·        Database of the hard skills in digital marketing among students (in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary) based on survey results: The database will include the outcomes of surveys conducted in monitored countries. The acquired information will provide important insights for mapping the level of hard skills in digital marketing in Visegrad region among young people (students).

·        At least 1 IF/Scopus publication.

·        Third mission: building partnerships within the Visegrad region.

Others

Website:  https://digitalmarketinginv4.webnode.sk/

This project has been funded with support from Visegrad Fund.



Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

Financed directly by Visegrad Fund

Project reference number: 22410040

Project duration: 01/07/2024–31/12/2025

Grant received: 22 145 EUR, ca. 8,6 M HUF, part of BBU: 2 971 EUR, ca. 1,1 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS, members of the BBS team

University of South Bohemia (USB) (főpályázó)

Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU)

Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (SUA)

BBS core team:

Anna Sára Kovács (BBU Office for Student Success)

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

ANAU is the only agricultural HEI in Armenia. The ANAU Career Center offers students and graduates consultations on the preparation of resumes and motivation letters. The goal of the Career Center is for as many students and graduates as possible to obtain qualified employment on the labor market. Unemployment in Armenia currently exceeds 13%. A high proportion of Armenians move abroad and seek employment with foreign employers. Foreign employers often offer remote work after the covid pandemic.

The project wants to contribute to the solution of 4 problems brought about by the situation described above:

1) Low chance of finding job. It is necessary to succeed in highly competitive job interviews, i.e. the ability of selfpresentation needs to be developed.

2) Workers do not have enough experience with remote work which is offered after covid. A remote job position allows, among other things, to work from home for a foreign employer, which can solve the situation of many students/graduates who want to continue living in Armenia.

3) The post-covid period brings a significant increase in mental discomfort among young people. This trend is slowly coming to Armenia as well, it is important to prevent mental discomfort.

4) Universities often implement career counseling according to their own methodologies, which are not standardized, the results are difficult to compare between universities and countries and do not allow for continuous improvement and mutual inspiration.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

All three universities from the V4 countries involved in the project have long-term experienced trainers and researchers dedicated to soft skills. Experts from ANAU know very well the socio-economic environment of Armenia and the needs of ANAU students and graduates. The project team, made up of the above-mentioned experts, will combine and synthesize knowledge, provide mutual inspiration and produce outputs that will help solve the current situation.

The project team will:

1) create, develop and train staff in this soft skills educational modules:

a) "selfpresentation" in order to increase success in job interviews,

b) "selfmanagement" - to master the ability to work remotely,

c) "wellbeing" - to improve mental well-being,

2) prepare a framework for evaluating career counseling to create a basis for comparing the level of career counseling and creating conditions for improvement,

3) research and then write the monograph "Soft skills in career counseling" for international inspiration and joint development.

The cooperation, inspiration and synthesis of partners' knowledge will contribute to the development of career counseling and thus to the career success of ANAU students and graduates who are resisting high unemployment and the consequences of the covid pandemic.

Others

Website: Partnerships and collaborations - Budapest Business University (uni-bge.hu)

This project has been funded with support from Visegrad Fund.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research 

2020-2.1.1-ED - (publicly funded) support under the RDI Act. 

Project reference number: support for the participation of higher education institutions (who transferred to a new operational model) in EU RDI programmes - Governmental Contribution Fund 

Project number: 2020-2.1.1-ED-2024-00307 

Project duration: 31 December 2023 - 30 December 2026. 

Grant received: 18 167 844 HUF 

International consortium, role of BBS, members of the BBS team 

The main applicant for the ERASMUS+ 2023 KA220-HED international project is Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences - Hessen, Germany. The consortium partners are Mugla Sitki Kocman University - Mugla, Turkey and Università Politecnica delle Marche - Ancona, Italy and Budapest University of Economics and Business - Budapest, Hungary. 

BBS core team: 

Judit Sági PhD, project leader; Dóra Dobák, PhD, Norbert Forman, Petronella Molnár, PhD, József Udvaros, PhD 

Objectives, rationale of the project/research 

The project takes an integrated approach to support the digital transformation of European SMEs and the development of a digital financial architecture for them. The consortium analysed the market and the SMEs' financial readiness capacity for digital financial tools which has already shown a gap. In addition, the rapid digitalization process where the SMEs want to find a proper role for them also indicated another gap, creating a multiplier effect: the need for training and preparation skills to implement digital financials. The project will thus provide training materials with serious games on how the SMEs’ digital transformation can enhance efficiency, reduce the cost of production, increase profitability and the impact of the digital market enablers. For instance, ecommerce, a sharing economy, and open banking with more accessible digital solutions for financial services. Hence, a rethinking of SME development strategy that makes SMEs’ digital transformation a priority is needed. In this regard, the Digital Technology Start-up Ecosystem should be considered, i.e. providers of the physical infrastructure (telecommunications, internet, etc.) and forums for regulators. 

Overall, the FinArch Project will focus on issues related to digital ecosystems and artificial intelligence applications for SMEs through simulation games and real business case studies. The results of the project will support SMEs in partner countries to apply the technology in concrete business applications. 

Main results and outputs of the project/research 

Main results: 

Since many European reports and researches have proven the digital gap, enabling SMEs’ digitalization has become a top policy priority in OECD countries and beyond, especially in Europe. The SME digital gap has increased inequalities among people, places and firms, and there are concerns that the benefits of the digital transformation could accrue to early adopters, further broadening these inequalities.  

In this regard, FinArch Project focuses on issues related to ecosystems and digital financial tools' implementations in SMEs by using serious games and real-life business scenarios. The results of this Project will support SMEs in partner countries fostering the concrete application of high-performing digital technology to their businesses.  

The results of the project will be used in 5 countries (Hungary, Germany, Italy, Slovakia and Turkey) with different cultural backgrounds and different knowledge needs. 

Outputs: 

By implementing the project, we want to create innovative learning material for digital financial services like crowd funding and crowd lending or smart contracts in the form of serious games, so that decision makers and staff of SMEs can easily learn about these financial services. 

• Deep Dive Analysis Report of SMEs in FinTech Services, Methodology Description Framework, Formulation of training content by using business scenarios. 
• Questionnaire survey about the digital financial literacy of SMEs. 
• Serious games, their software implementation, the documentation of the games and the pilot testing results. 
• Preparation and Launch of Digital Platform and Awareness Increasing Activities via social media channels. 
• Provide training materials for SMEs using gamification and real-life scenarios. 
• Training curricular component to be integrated into university education programmes: digitalisation solutions and SMEs' transition to digitalisation. 
• Scientific outputs: at least 1 Wos/Scopus publication, 2 additional MTMT full publications. 
• Partnership with universities participating in the project. 

Others 

Website: https://finarch.mni.thm.de/#/  

The project has been funded by the Governmental Contribution Fund and the ERASMUS+ KA2 Partnership. 

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission – ERASMUS+ Programme, Cooperation Partnership Subprogramme, Higher education

Financed directly by the TEMPUS Public Foundation

Project reference number: 2022-2-HU01-KA220-HED-000094859

Project duration: 01.01.2023 – 28.02.2025

Grant received: 250 000 EUR, ca. 100 M HUF, part of BBU: 80 849 EUR, ca. 32 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBU, members of the BBU team

Budapest Business School (coordinator)

J. Selye University

Portucalense University

Istanbul Medeniyet University

BBU core team:

Dr. Gabriella Soós, Dr. Tamás Kozák, Dr. Éva Gajzágó, Dr. Andrea Lugasi, László Varga, Katalin Farkas, Attila Pataki-Juhász

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

A healthy lifestyle is more and more important since civilizational diseases are spreading continuously. There are a lot of innovative foods and ingredients on the market, but people with a food allergy or intolerance can face a complex problem because they have to avoid these ingredients and need to choose another healthy type of food that can substitute the “normal” nutrient.

The HoReCa sector is not equally well performed to satisfy food allergy needs and the employees of the sector possess very different knowledge about this special field of nutrition. The regulations and practices in the partner countries are different, although it is based on unified European regulation.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

Main results:

We analyse and compare the regulatory environment and good practices of participants to enhance the initiatives so that civil organisations, authorities, and enterprises can better represent common values and principles. Sensitization in a wider environment serves the same objective in our project.

We elaborate a short cycle course for our students and external applicants from the HoReCa (Hotel-Restaurant-Catering) sector. We provide novel and up-to-date knowledge and besides, and we develop some soft skills and emphasized digital skills. Our objective is to sensitize our students and external partners to understand the importance and difficulties of a life with food allergy and prepare them to satisfy special consumer needs as long as they work in hospitality and tourism. We apply the developed course material to our existing courses to give our students better chances to appear in the labour market. We will start short cycle courses for the managers and employees of the HoReCa sector the help them in serving the new and increasing needs of food allergies and intolerances.

Outputs:

·        Collection of rules, best practices guide and proposal package

·        Novel, short cycle course development

·        Network development

Others

Website: https://etdtfa-project.com (under development)

This project has been funded by Tempus Public Foundation.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

Financed directly by Visegrad Fund

Project reference number: 22220080

Project duration: 01/10/2022–28/02/2024

Grant received: 21 472 EUR, ca. 8,8 M HUF, part of BBU: 7 920 EUR, ca. 3,2 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBU, members of the BBU team

J.Selye University

University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague)

University of Economics in Katowice

BBU core team:

Tamas Kozak. PhD, project leader, Eva Gajzago, PhD, Gabriella Soos, PhD

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

Within the V4 Group, the economic/trade/investment relations are weak, and there are few signs of their strengthening, this fact is especially true for SME cooperation. The V4 is based mainly on political, rather than economic cooperation, and it does not implement its own common economic projects. V4 economies are dependent on foreign investors and foreign-owned banks and controlled by headquarters of transnational enterprises. In various key institutional dimensions, cooperation is poor. This applies to coordination mechanisms, primary means of raising investment, corporate governance, industrial relations, education and training system, the transfer of innovations, and comparative advantages. Efforts to ensure optimal conditions for bringing Visegrad countries back on the path of economic growth were of crucial importance in the teaching portfolio of partner universities. Involving direct information from the business sector into education is crucial, as during the educational process of the higher educational institutions, students have to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for the labor market, required by the companies.

The primary objective of the project is to strengthen the joint mutual representation of the V4 economies through educational development. Participating students will be able to launch new SME businesses within V4. The objective project goal is to strengthen the cooperation among the participating universities’ students in the field of profound understanding of different cultures, technological, and regional economic policies. The common training and research program includes the themes, such as SME-s in general, the profile of the SME sector, main Characteristics of the SME Sector, SME-s in V4 Managing SMS-s, understanding environment, macro-economy, regulation of SME finance, strategy, analysis of competencies, strategic planning Project management, operational planning of SME Inventory management, selling activity for SMEs Human resources, performance measurement, staff management Legal environments to launch a new business.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

Main results:

The project encourages the stimulation of an entrepreneurial culture through education and training and particularly through, inter alia, greater collaboration between research and industry; takes the view that initiatives in this respect should also focus on the importance of SMEs in enhancing social cohesion, efficiency and environmental protection (eco-innovations); present the action plans on how to promote SME entrepreneurship in V4. The innovative elements in our proposal include: an integrated educational model and investment guidelines for students in partner universities such as potential investors; business evaluation model; integrated risk management model; strategic plan formulation template. The project is following the principles of multidisciplinary and diversity. The project will be implemented in 4 countries with different cultures and requires knowledge from different sectors. Sustainability principles will also be considered during the implementation of the project is a wider aspect; social, economic, and environmental sustainability too.

Outputs:

·        Elaborating on a new course material based on the expertise of the participating HEIs’ experts and research implemented during the project.

·        Facilitating the coordination of, and cooperating with, such advisory services to ensure the appropriate and efficient handling of cross-border entrepreneurship for SME business in V4 countries

·        Improving the knowledge and skills of the students, developing common material for education

·        Build a common database and information pool for partner institutions

·        Develop a common strategic plan formulation model to prepare and help SMEs business launching.

·        Enhance the practice-oriented education.

Others

Website: 

https://uni-bge.hu/hu/visegrad-fund-v4-project-bbs

This project has been funded with support from Visegrad Fund.

Title of the project/research

COMMITTED - COMpliance of acadeMIc acTiviTies with forEign trade

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission – ERASMUS+ Programme, Strategic Partnership Subprogramme, Vocational education and training

Financed directly by the TEMPUS Public Foundation

Project reference number: 2021-2-HU01-KA220-VET-000049615

Project duration: 01.04.2022. – 31.03.2024.

Grant received: 227 135 EUR, ca. 84 M HUF, Part of BBS from the total budget: 36 498 EUR, ca. 13,5M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS, members of the BBS team

Consortium members:

Budapest Business School, Budapest (Hungary) - Coordinator

Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences (Germany)

Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands)

Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (Finland)

Moravian Business College Olomouc (Czech Republic)

Hungarian Association of Logistics, Purchasing and Inventory Management, Budapest (Hungary)

BBS core team:

Dr. Katalin Csekő - project leader

Judit Galambos

László Varga

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

The project fits in with the BGE's strategic pillars of partnership with business on the one hand, and the applied sciences for economic development objective on the other, by introducing a new topic in international higher education cooperation, such as "deemed export", which also have ethical implications.

The freedom of international flows of goods and services is not unlimited; it exists only in strict compliance with the rules laid down in international conventions that ensure export controls. EU regulations also cover academic activities, in particular information and publications resulting from research and development, teaching materials, university-industry relations and international university cooperation. Academia's relationship with export controls is complex and specific. This can be captured in the fact that while the primary purpose of higher education is the generation and public sharing of knowledge, this principle may conflict with existing EU (Hungarian and international) regulations.

As academic institutions are expected to contribute to technological and technical progress through innovation, they are necessarily linked, either directly or indirectly, to the so-called "controlled products and technologies" and related services (e.g. professional advice, training). This problem is particularly acute when universities maintain joint laboratories or conduct research in cooperation with companies. The problem of "deemed export" and proper compliance with export control rules arises in the context of university cooperation with international higher education institutions, large companies, small businesses and other organisations in relation to "controlled products and technologies" and related services.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

• Collection of relevant regulations: EU and international laws, national rules, university and corporate good practices in relationship with deemed export
• Recommendations for policy makers: based on international practices, recommendations for governments on preparing university staff and strengthening university – industry (especially R&D-related) collaborations
• Manual for university staff and staff of SMEs collaborating with universities: compliance scenarios, ethical issues, guidelines for conduct
• Developing and piloting a training package: e-learning and face-to-face training for university staff and staff of SMEs collaborating with universities

Others

Website: www.we-are-committed.eu under development

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission – ERASMUS+ Programme, Cooperation partnerships, Vocational education and training

Financed directly by the TEMPUS Public Foundation

Project reference number: 2021-1-HU01-KA220-VET-000033052

Project duration: 01.11.2021 – 30.04.2023

Grant received: 318 514 EUR, ca. 132 M HUF, part of BBS: 62 073 EUR, ca. 23 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS, members of the BBS team

Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary – Co-ordinator

Université Paris Nanterre, Paris, France

Universidate Catolica Potuguesa - Portuguese Catholic University, Porto, Portugal

Tallin University of Technology, Tallin, Estonia

Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Wrocław, Poland

CEPOR - Centar za politiku razvoja malih i srednjih poduzeća i poduzetništva, Zagreb, Croatia

ADINVEST Europe, Brussels, Belgium

BBS core team:

Dr Csillag Sára– Project leader, Réthi Gábor – Professional co-ordinator, Dr Soltész Péter, Varga László – Project co-ordinators, Diószeginé Balázs Krisztina, Gyüre Ágnes – Responsible for financial administration

Participants in Research and Training material development activities:

Csizmadia Péter, Zsigmond-Heinczinger Száva, Németh Tamás

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

Rationale

In the last decades Budapest Business School (BBS) has contributed to a convincing series of international projects aimed at supporting Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in various areas through comprehensive training curricula and training programmes. In Hungary, BBS holds a leading position in curriculum development and other services specifically targeted to the needs of SME owners and managers.

Experience shows that further training of the owners/managers as well as the employees is key factor of the successful development of the companies. A large majority of medium size firms has a history of formal and/or non-formal training whilst small businesses (employing 10-49 people) don’t. Even more striking is the difference as to the micro companies (up to 9 employees) which show a lack of propensity to subdue themselves to trainings let it be external or internal (work-based) training let alone the acceptance of external advising. The partners’ experience and intensive preparatory research pointed out that these two target groups (Micro and Small Enterprises, MSEs) suffer from a major supply/demand side failure in training offering and also in pedagogical approaches to motivate owners/managers to consider the advantages of a predefined retraining scheme or vision for the company. The partnership scrutinized in depth the literature and also the projects on the list of EPRP and the outcome was clear: a major need of MSEs was discovered and the idea to fill the gaps through a project like LEAD is a new initiative in the entrepreneurial milieu.

The objectives of the LEAD project

• The aim of the project is to facilitate the effective transformation of the learning ecosystems around MSEs in the participating countries. In order to achieve this goal, the project straightforwardly addresses the improvement of such Human Resource Development activities that directly and indirectly promote learning capability of the target group, both at the management and the employee level.
• To make changes in the entrepreneurial and managerial orientations and attitudes of the MSE owners/managers in favour of better adjustment to external changes via continuous learning and development.
• To foster both organizational- and employee-level learning by combining existing and new knowledge on MSE learning needs and practices with both traditional and innovative teaching content and methodology, relying on the intensive use of digital platforms, means and procedures.

In summing up, the project partners would like to create a research-based training curriculum to support small and micro business entrepreneurs in creating advanced Human Resource Management (HRM) practices based on a development-oriented leadership attitude. In our understanding the double target group (MSE owners) will benefit of the project and its results by incorporating such core methodological and social competencies that foster both individual and collective learning at the company level. The improvement of development-oriented HRM practices will lead to satisfied workers, increased commitment and more balanced productivity. To justify the validity of this achievement pilot trainings are planned where success and efficiency will be measured by different qualitative and quantitative indicators. One major goal the project strives to achieve is to disseminate the achievements in the European entrepreneurial area through a robust sharing plan.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

Research

• National and comparative analysis of training and development practices of MSEs
• Practical Handbook for MSE owners

Training material development

• Evidence-based training materials – 4*8 hour long training materials (50% e-learning and 50% face-to-face)

Dissemination events

• Pilot trainings for MSE owners
• Dissemination materials – project flyer, website
• Multiplier events – workshops and conference in 5 countries (Hungary, Portugal, France, Croatia and Poland)

Others

Website: https://www.lead-mse-project.eu

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission – ERASMUS+ Programme, Cooperation partnerships, Higher education

Financed directly by the TEMPUS Public Foundation

Project reference number: 2021-1-HU01-KA220-HED-000032002

Project duration: 01.12.2021. – 31.12.2023.

Grant received: 220 270 EUR, ca. 79,3 M HUF, Part of BBS from the total budget: 36 857 EUR, ca. 13,3 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS, members of the BBS team

Budapest Business School, Budapest (Hungary) - Coordinator

Moravian College Olomouc (Czech Republic)

College of Economics and Computer Science, Cracow (Poland)

Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences (Germany)

Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Loerrach (Germany)

Hungarian Plastics Association, Budapest (Hungary)

BBS core team:

Dr. Katalin Csekő, Dr. Gábor Andrási, David Parker, László Varga

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

The project is in line with two of the strategic pillars of BBS: education and corporate relations. It aims to develop business skills in digital environment, involving international academic and corporate partners.

The Faculty of International Management and Business of BBS (FIMB) is very successful is establishing and operating double degree programmes, during which students of the BSc International Business Economics programme spends two semesters at a partner university, supported by Erasmus mobility funding, and gain the degrees of both BBS and the partner university. The European Higher Education Area provides opportunity for such cooperation based on credit acceptance. FIMB has double degree collaborations with Belgian, Dutch and German partner universities, and is working on expanding its academic network. The project builds upon existing double degree partnerships and ones in progress, and the project outcomes will be incorporated into the double degree programmes.

Being a university of applied sciences, BBS has a wide range of corporate partnerships. In order to enhance employability of the students, the university offers practice oriented programmes and focuses on the development of the students’ business skills. Leveraging these partnerships and expertise in skills development, the project aims to develop communication, presentation and problem solving skills in English, in a digital environment, involving representatives of future employers of the students. FIMB academic faculty members are experts in business communication, including its special type: the pitch presentation. It focuses on short, facts-based   presentations, followed by convincing potential investors and business partners during a question and answer session. Such presentation requires robust business knowledge, flexibility, convincing power and strong communication skills. The project aims to prepare students for such presentations incorporated into academic courses in a digital environment, in line with the latest corporate needs. The project also trains faculty members for developing and assessing such presentations in their disciplines, involving representatives of employers.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

• Methodology handbook on developing digital, pitch-type presentations with the active involvement of employers, to be incorporated into subjects of undergraduate international business programmes
• Training of business faculty members on the above
• Development of e-learning materials related to various subjects of undergraduate international business programmes, supporting students in preparing for digital, pitch-type presentations
• Piloting digital, pitch-type presentations with the active involvement of employers
• Developing a digital competence portfolio: edited versions of recorded digital, pitch-type presentations, to support employability of the students

Others

Website: (www.bespoke-project.eu)

Information at the website of the BBS – in Hungarian and in English

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Higher education

Financed directly by the Finnish National Agency.

BBS participates as a partner in the project.

Project reference number: 2020-1-FI01-KA226-HE-092760

Project duration: 01.03.2021. – 28.02.2023

Grant received: 256 979 EUR, kb. 93,1 M HUF, part of BBS: 42 578 EUR, cca. 15,4 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS

Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences Ltd (Finland) - Coordinator

Budapesti Gazdasági Egyetem, Budapest (Hungary)

Instituto Politecnico de Castelo Branco (Portugal)

Vysoka Skola Chemicko-Technologicka V Praze (Czech Republic)

Stichting Saxion (Netherlands)

BBS core team

Dr. Pál Ágnes, Dr. Asztalos Réka, Schultz Éva, Dr. Petykó Csilla, Debreceni János

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

The LEARN&CHANGE project aims to support educators and learners to apply open-access digital tools and platforms more widely and creatively. To introduce variation and meaning to digital and blended learning, we engage learners in collaborative digital storytelling to innovate sustainable change for the hard-hit sector of tourism in Europe. The project brings together educators, learners, and tourism industry associated partners to co-create easy-to-use mobile learning resources related to such timeless topics as nature and eco-tourism,

cultural heritage sites, smart city solutions for tourists, technology for tourists, and geoparks.

The objectives of the project are to:

• build educators’ pedagogical competences to develop and deploy open-access digital tools to enhance learners’ digital competences to manage and drive change
• train educators and learners (bachelor and master students) to make responsible use of open-access digital tools for innovative and impactful content creation and for social engagement
• develop co-creation competences of educators, learners, and associated industry partners to envision alternative futures through collaborative digital storytelling, aimed at driving sustainable change in the hard-hit sector of tourism in the participants’ respective regions and across Europe

The target groups that we engage in the co-creation of learning solutions are:

• educators looking to innovate engaging digital and blended learning to empower learners to participate in the design of their own learning and become competent digital storytellers
• learners looking to develop their digital competences to attain meaningful and sustainable goals in collaboration with educators, peers, and stakeholder networks
• regional industry partners looking to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and foster sustainable change in their hard-hit sector in both short and long term

Main results and outputs of the project/research

The mobile learning resources of collaborative digital storytelling can be integrated in courses of languages, communication, marketing, and tourism to ensure wide impact across disciplines.

 The tangible project results are:

• A participatory pedagogical framework to digital learning to help innovate collaborative digital storytelling for sustainable change (O1)
• A digital solutions toolkit to support educators to implement the framework and add meaning to digital and blended teaching and learning (O2)
• 25 inspirational and easy-to-use mobile learning assignments (5 modules of 1 ECTS) with relevant assessment, validation, and recognition instructions (O3)
• An accessible and user-friendly Web Gallery of open-access mobile learning resources and inspirational digital storytelling examples (O4)
• An Action Plan to support the sustainability and transferability of the project results (O5)

Website of the project:

https://blogit.haaga-helia.fi/learn-to-change/

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Higher education

Financed directly by the Tempus Public Foundation.

BBS paticipates as coordinator in the project.

Project reference number: 2019-1-HU01-KA203-061070

Project duration: 01.12.2019 – 30.11.2022

Grant received: 261 713 EUR, ca. 86 M HUF, Part of BBS from the total budget: 58 278 EUR, ca. 19 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS

• Budapest Business School, Budapest (Hungary) - Coordinator
• Beuth-Hochschule FUER Technik Berlin, Berlin (Germany)
• Haaga-Helia Ammattikorkeakoulu Oy (Finland)
• Eckonomicka Univerzita V Bratislave, Pozsony (Slovakia)
• Instituto Politecnico Da Guarda, Guarda (Portugal)
• Ceske Vysoke Uceni Technicke V Praze, Prága (Czech Republic)

BBS core team

Dr. Pál Ágnes, Dr. Asztalos Réka, Dr. Szénich Alexandra

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

The importance of autonomous learning is of particular significance in educational policy documents with an emphasis on competences for autonomy that can be developed at all educational levels and ages. A survey-based study involving more than 1,400 students identified the low level of autonomous learning skills of Hungarian students at BBS as a skill gap in 2017. Teachers at the BBS Department of Languages for Business Communication have been trying to tackle this problem in the following ways: - A professional dialogue was initiated with colleagues from other departments of the University including a round-table discussion at the Day of Applied Sciences at BBS in 2018. - Opportunities for international comparison were sought after, and an adapted version of the questionnaire was completed at partner universities among students of LSP. Pinpointing the international dimension of this problem, the results showed clearly that besides the differences, some areas were challenging for all participating students. - Research on international solutions was carried out and a growing number of European universities have been found to enhance autonomous language learning in (online) self-access centres. Besides providing materials and a language learning environment which promotes autonomous language learning indirectly, some centres offer direct support for autonomous learning in the form of advising or coaching. However, no transnational project has been found that would offer open educational resources promoting the autonomous learning of LSP. The objective of the CORALL project is to launch a transnational initiative − developed in the framework of a strategic partnership − to fill the aforementioned gaps by supporting students in becoming more autonomous learners and supporting teachers of LSP in helping learners to become more autonomous. A further objective is to create intellectual outputs to support autonomous language learning, which will not only be available for the language teachers and students of each participating institution, but will also constitute open educational resources. Our aim is to support learners’ language development in LSP through the development of their autonomous language learning skills in an online environment. Teachers of LSP will benefit from the partner institutions’ practices and expertise, while the overall project will promote lifelong learning and contribute to the universities’ strategic aim of internationalization.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

• Conceptual framework for coaching-oriented approach in teaching and autonomous learning in LSP (languages for specific purposes)
• Resources to support students’ autonomous learning of LSP (in English, German and Spanish), available online
• Sample materials and modules for self-study and to integrate into LSP classes or LSP related projects to enhance autonomous language learning skills 
• Case studies
• Training material for teachers of LSP 

Website of the project: https://corallprojecteu.wixsite.com/presentation

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Higher education

Financed directly by the Czech National Agency.

BBS participates as partner in the project.

Project reference number: 2019-1-CZ01-KA203-061163

Project duration: 01.09.2019 – 28.02.2022

Grant received: 250 452 EUR, ca. 82,6 M HUF, part of BBS: 48 468 EUR, ca 16 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS, members of the BBS team

Czech Technical University - Masaryk Institute of Advanced Studies, Prague (Czech Republic) – Coordinator

Budapesti Gazdasági Egyetem, Budapest (Hungary)

Instituto Politecnico de Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco (Portugal)

Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz (Spain)

Universidade do Algavre, Faro (Portugal)

BBS core team

Dr. Pál Ágnes, Dr. Asztalos Réka, Dr. Babos Krisztina

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

For higher education institutions to effectively play a role in increasing graduates' employability across the EU, it is necessary to overcome their institutionalisation and compartmentalisation of knowledge within the traditional disciplinary frameworks and embrace interdisciplinary approaches to education in a digital era.

In line with this need, the main objective of the project is to develop, promote and integrate innovative interdisciplinary, collaborative content-based approaches to language learning and teaching. This objective will be achieved by redesigning the learning environment through enhancing in-class HE instruction with innovative online modules in English, Spanish and/or German as a medium of instruction. The online modules will combine skill and content-based approaches with foreign language learning and teaching and will enable students to individualise and internationalise learning pathways through the promotion of collaborative digital practices. Additionally, the project enables the validation and harmonisation of assessment frameworks across partner curricula in EU HEIs through the internationalisation of HE shared content.

The project includes a joint staff training and two multiplier events: the first one - entitled International Seminar: Modernizing HE - Trends, collaboration and innovative teaching approaches in language education - will take place in Budapest in January 2021.

The final conference will take place in Prague, with the title: Strengthening collaboration in HE – Innovative interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning

Main results and outputs of the project/research

The legacy of this project will be a project website providing innovative open educational resources for language and skill/content based blended e- and m-learning resources including: innovative online modules, methodological guidelines for educators, and case studies to guarantee further postproject dissemination and the replication of best practice. The project activities will increase the human capital of teachers who will share their knowledge not only by training others but also by influencing students and future teachers in EU HE and lifelong training projects. Finally, HE students will be better trained in interdisciplinary approaches and 21st century transversal skills and thereby more employable across the EU.

Website of the project: https://incollabeu.wixsite.com/project

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Vocational education and training

Financed directly by the TEMPUS Public Foundation-

BBS participates as coordinator in the project.

Project reference number: 2019-1-HU01-KA202-060911

Project duration: 01.10.2019 – 31.08.2022

Grant received: 328 999 EUR, ca. 108,6 M HUF, Part of BBS from the total budget: 51 820 EUR, ca. 17,1 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS

University partners:

• Budapest Business School, Budapest (Magyarország) - Coordinator
• Leeds Beckett University, Leeds (United Kingdom)
• Hochschule Rhein-Waal, Kleve (Germany)
• University of Udine, Udine (Italy)
• Wroclaw University of Economics, Wroclaw (Poland)
• Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca (Romania)

Non-university partners:

• MAC-Team aisbl, Brussels(Belgium)
• EFAA – European Federation of Accountants and Auditors for SMEs, Brussels (Belgium)
• Business Hungary, Budapest (Hungary)

BBS core team

Dr. Csillag Sára, Madarasiné Dr. Szirmai Andrea, Dr. Győri Zsuzsanna, Dr. Kardos Barbara, Dr. Losoncz Miklós, Dr. Fellegi Miklós, Dr. Sági Judit

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

Economic development in the eastern European countries arrived to a point, what happened earlier in the old EU states, where SMEs need to work together with large, multinational companies, need investments from different finance providers and other stakeholders and need to internationalise themselves. To comply with these challenges they must build understanding of and trust in their business. To do that they have to communicate a clear, concise story of their value creation process overarching their wholesale business activities. Here comes the story to the holistic corporate reporting approach, which is called Integrated Reporting (IR), a product of integrated thinking on all key elements of the business.

Corporate reporting is not the strong point of SMEs but the above-mentioned needs impose rapid evolution. To display the whole value creation process of the SME, much beyond a financial report, is indispensable for building investors’, finance providers’ and other stakeholders’ confidence.

IR is of common use in the world of large national or multinational companies. The original idea of this proposal is to try to derive from this experience the more adaptable elements possible to SMEs and transform them to guidance and training materials for SMEs on IR practical issues. However, preliminary research pointed out that international organisations have been trying and will keep trying to pursue research for elaborating IR frameworks for SMEs. So the members of our partnership got into contact with such organisations: (International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), European Federation of Accountants and Auditors for SMEs (EFAA) etc. in order to get access to their results. The members also studied the EU Directive on “Disclosure of non-financing reporting” containing mandatory rules requiring disclosure of non-financial information by large companies.

It was pointed out by the members of our consortium that very different, sometimes conflicting IR frameworks are being proliferated in the world constituting a major impediment to a converging evolution of IR on businesses.

In order to avoid any replications and overlaps with the above-mentioned researches our partnership will not conduct research per se but it will make use of the results produced and to be produced by the mentioned researches. Therefore, our consortium has set out the following major objectives of the proposal:

• To collate results on the different IR frameworks and derive from this a model framework all SMEs can have easy access to. Since all IR frameworks operate on pre-defined financial and non-financial capitals – in most cases 6 capitals (Financial capital, Manufactured capital, Intellectual capital, Human capital, Social and relationship capital and Natural capital) but frequently same names cover different contents in different frameworks – to select and define unambiguously the capitals to use them in the model framework for SME-IR. 
• To compose a Guide for the SMEs defining the financial and non-financial capitals, quantitative and qualitative (narrative) key performance indicators (KPIs) on the whole value creation process. The Guide will give practical instructions for SMEs how to edit their IR according to the new model framework.
• On the basis of the Guide to develop gamified curricula for SMEs’ senior managers on one side and for students (future SME CEOs, accountants, mentors etc.) on the other. These are the two major target groups of the project. A delicate balance of face-to-face workshops, e-learning sequences and work based learning elements will ensure the less charge possible on the entrepreneurs.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

In order to make the results of this project the more perspicuous possible, the important tangible results are compiled in three Intellectual Outputs.

• IO1: Preparatory desktop analysis pointed out that large organisations, multinational networks have conducted and intend to start research projects in the field of Integrated Reporting of SMEs. It is the starting point of this project to get acquainted with and collate the results of these not always converging research outcomes, and of course, with the experiences of the partners as well. Using the mentioned 6 capitals approach, after having consolidated it, the partnership set out the objective to devise a model framework of SME Integrated Reporting. This will be simplified enough to offer easy access for SME, in order to avoid overburdening their management. The 6 capitals methodology allows to extend the analysis from Financial Reporting (FR) to Non-Financial Reporting (NFR), sustainable reporting included. This IR framework will embody the first IO of the project.
• IO2: On the basis of IO1 results a practical handbook, a Guide will be elaborated for SMEs’ direct use in general and for the curriculum development phase of the project in particular.
• IO3: The Guide (IO2) may be complicated for certain SMEs for using it by themselves, a good reason for including a b-learning course development into the project, the result of which will be IO3. Here can be found an innovative educational result of the project: a mixture of interactive workshops, on line contents and work based learning units will make the training more attractive and easily accessible for the project’s target groups.

Another long-term objective of the project is to introduce integrated thinking in the SME population of the countries. This makes the dissemination work package of outstanding importance. The partners’ and also the associated partners’ disseminating capabilities are a token of the success of this long term objective, a result in itself of the project.

The project will start a VET-qualification procedure for IR for SMEs. This procedure will certainly not be finished during the project’s life but to have certified comparability among SMEs’ performances in the long term in Europe is a mayor post project goal and it is necessary to start it within the project’s lifespan.

Website of the project: https://mac-team.eu/index.php/mm-value-fields/mm-project-portfolio/mm-interest/269-a-interest

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Higher education

Financed directly by the TEMPUS Public Foundation.

BBS participates as coordinator in the project.

Project reference number: 2018-1-HU01-KA202-047730

Project duration: 01.11.2018 – 30.04.2021

Grant received: 364 511 EUR, ca. 116,644 M HUF

Part of BBS from the total budget: 53 031 EUR, ca. 16,97 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS

University partners

• Budapest Business School, Budapest (Hungary) – Coordinator
• Leeds Beckett University, Leeds (United Kingdom)
• IEDC Bled School of Management, Bled (Slovenia)
• Cologne Business School, Cologne (Germany)
• Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta (Finland)

Non-university partners

• INFODEF – Institute for the Promotion of Development and Training, Valladolid (Spain)
• BCSDH – Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary, Budapest (Hungary)
• CEEMAN – International Association for Management Development in Dynamic Societies, Bled (Slovenia)

BBS core team

Dr. Csillag Sára, Dr. Szegedi Krisztina, Nagy Andrea, Dr. Győri Zsuzsanna, a Fenntarthatósági Központ tagjai

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

Major international events in 2015 have led to a new sustainable development (SD) agenda for the next 15 years. At all levels, from global to local, and in all sectors, from business to government, from NGOs to education, thousands of initiatives have been launched to support the different SD goals defined by basic UN documents, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda defined 17 goals of SD to achieve by 2030. The United Nations Global Compact transformed general objectives described by other UN documents into 10 principles, which is a United Nations initiative to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies. Higher educational institutions (HEIs) realised that they have the specific role to empower faculty, administrators, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of a more sustainable global society.

The main objective of ISSUE (Innovative Solutions for Sustainability in Education) project, which started in November 2018, is to develop various education tools based on principles and goals of sustainable development and adapt them for higher educational institutions. Sustainability, in any organisation, should be embedded through knowledge, engagement, collaboration and innovation. HEIs should ensure that their governance, faculty, staff and students not only understand sustainability, but also have the capacity to act sustainably and promote sustainable practices. Project partners will develop content and tools with modern pedagogical approaches, adapted to the different target groups of a university, on various SD issues.

The work packages of the project will include:

Manual on integrated reporting for the HE sector

• Exploratory study of SD-focused curriculum development, including best practice examples and teaching case studies
• Sustainability toolbox development for HEIs (21-day challenge training program, Future sustainability managers training program, Green Office Strategy toolkit and guidelines, Escape room exercise focusing on SDG topics)

To disseminate the project results among various stakeholders, several regional events will be organised in the next years.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

The project consortium committed to develop new methods, innovative and interactive solutions for the internal community (leadership, faculty, staff and students) of the universities that can support understanding sustainability issues and help engagement.

Research

• IO1 - Integrated Reporting Manual
• IO2 - Methodology Handbook and cases

Training material development

• IO3-IO6: Sustainability toolbox development – interactive solutions:

o  IO3 - 21-day challenge (with e-learning and video elements)

o  IO4 - Future sustainability managers summer university programme

o  IO5 - Green Office concept for university staff

o  IO6 - Escape Room

Multiplier events and dissemination materials

• Pilot trainings of the sustainability toolbox in the partner countries
• Summer school programme in Hungary with the participation of students and trainers from all partners
• Multiplier events – workshops and conferences in 5 countries (Hungary, Slovenia, the UK, Germany and Finland)
• Dissemination materials – project flyers, website

Website of the project: https://www.issue-project.eu/

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Higher education

Financed directly by the Polish National Agency.

BBS participates as a partner in the project.

Project reference number: 2020-1-PL01-KA203-081852

Project duration: 01.09.2020 – 31.08.2023

Grant received: 425 255 EUR, ca. 148,8 M HUF, part of BBS: 29 220 EUR, ca. 10,2M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS

University of Economics in Katowice, Poland – Coordinator

Budapest Business School, Hungary

Université Savoie Mont Blanc, France

Universitatea din Bucuresti, Romania

Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Russian Federation

Universitaria San Pablo-CEU-Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Spain

Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen Howest, Belgium

Universidad de Leon, Spain

Università degli Studi di Trento, Italy

Haute École Specialisée de Suisse Occidentale, Switzerland

Bauhaus-Universitaet Weimar, Germany

University of Economics in Katowice, Poland

BBS core team

Papp Judit, Dr. Kozák Tamás, Dr. Merliot-Almássy Eszter

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

Project description

Experiential education. Interactive/Intensive course of European brand management (brandY) is an Erasmus+ project with the main objective to design, implement and test an innovative experiential learning instrument to train management (more specifically marketing) students for their better employability. Team spirit, professionalism, the exchange of experience between the 11 partners involved in this endeavour provide the project with an interdisciplinary working framework reuniting professors with expertise in various fields, researchers, students and experts in international marketing, brand management, new technologies and gamification. The result of the project will be the experiential based, interactive IP study module from the area of international brand management. It will use the game-based scenario to increase the effectiveness of teaching and involvement of the students. It will be available on internet platform together with the support. The teaching module brandY will strongly impact the teaching the brand management strategies giving the students and teachers possibility to improve the skills needed on the job market.

The specific goals of the project are:

• To introduce the concept of game based experiential teaching as a way to increase the competences of the students and for a better employability
• To improve the academics’ teaching skills and competences in marketing
• To increase the knowledge of the students in area of international brand management but also intercultural management
• To invite the SMEs to be part of university programme development
• To increase mobility of the students from the partner universities, both during the project but also due to dissemination the project outputs.
• To enlarge the international cooperation among the partner universities.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

Project activities:

• The main activities undertaken in the project are described according to 4 work packages
• Work Package 1: Developing innovative and interactive teaching materials and content.
• Work Package 2: Learning Instrument Guidelines, Procedures and Handbooks for students and teachers to easily implement the course into their practice.
• Work Package 3: IT platform and interactive game dashboard – gamification of the teaching materials.
• Work Package 4: External communication, dissemination and scientific promotion

Project results and their utilisation:

The beneficiaries of this project are on the one hand the university students (in terms of learning and chances of employability) and teachers (in terms of developing an online curriculum using this new model of online teaching/learning brand management), on the other hand employers and public institutions interested in employing young European brand management experts.

Website of the project: under development

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

More information is available only in Hungarian.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Vocational education and training

Financed directly by the Tempus Public Foundation.

BBS participated as coordinator in the project.

Project reference number: 2017-1-HU01-KA202-035953

Project duration: 01.11.2017 – 28.02.2020

Grant received: 263 938 EUR, ca. 82,1M HUF, part of BBS: 52 300 EUR, ca. 16,3M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS

Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary – Coordinator

Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, the UK

Universidate Catolica Potuguesa - Portuguese Catholic University, Porto, Portugal

Politechnika Warszawska - Warsaw Univversity of Technology, Warsaw, Poland

ADINVEST International, Paris - Avignon, France

EFCoCert Foundation, Renens, Switzerland

BBS core team

Dr. Csillag Sára, Madarasiné Dr. Szirmai Andrea, Dr. Csizmadia Péter, Talabos István, Fábián Tamás, Dr. Németh Tamás, Dr. Németh Szilárd, Dr. Németh Krisztina

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

Rationale

Budapest Business School (BBS) in frames of experienced international partnerships has made a long way to carry out research and develop curricula for SMEs. This made BBS one of the Hungarian protagonists in training delivery targeting enterprises and helped the different and changing partners enrich their curriculum systems and strengthen their positions on the training market. The issues touched upon in these trainings overarched a wide scope of subjects: from basic entrepreneurship, human environment through generational transition up to sustainability and growth.

On the way of experimentations of the results the partners realised that conventional trainings, on-line ones included, give an excellent approach for regular students registered in SME related courses, but as far as SME CEOs and owners are concerned long duration continual consultancies are more appropriate. This revelation was also the major outcome of the continuing cooperation with SME federations having been closer to the entrepreneurs. These results made the partnership focus on SME-mentorship. The role of such business mentors is more appropriately expressed by the wording “process consultant” meaning that the mentor is supposed to shoulder the CEOs/owners advising him/her continuously during a relatively long period of time. Following these lines BBS and partners managed projects targeting on business mentor trainings, elaborating skillcards for soft skills, hard knowledge packages and multistep assessment measures to be applied during the mentor trainings.

The aim of the project is to complement the existing set of mentor trainings with clearly missing elements and also to elaborate an international certification scheme for mentors the application of which is expected to enhance the EU recognition level of this profession.

The objectives of the MentorCert project

• Further develop the TRUST ME mentor skillcard and refine it so that it can be used to benchmark and develop the skills levels of business mentors at a variety of levels (from novice to expert). The different levels of mentoring support for SMEs will correspond to different phases of the growth and development cycle of the SME to be mentored. 
• To promote university –business partnerships through the development of cluster -based intelligence to enable business mentors to operate in clusters of strategic importance (e.g. Fintech, social enterprises, etc.) to the local economy.
• To develop progression pathways for business mentors and move towards international certification of business mentoring compliant with ISO17024.

Summarising it, the partners wish to advance towards an internationally accepted multilevel recognition for business mentors, for their skills, competences and knowledge. This aim justifies firmly the international character of the project. The experimentation of the project’s results inserted genuinely in life-long learning context has the direct target group of business mentors and candidates for this mentorship beneficiaries of the pilot trainings during the project's life and of the certification procedure to be elaborated in the frames of the project and experimented after. An indirect target group will be those CEOs and owners receiving high level, certified mentor support after the project. Another important target group will be the participants of the multiplier events, important tools for dissemination. Among them different stakeholders, governmental bodies and policy makers will get information about the initiative and may contribute to the recognition of the certified business mentors within their professional outreach.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

Research

• Mentor level and Sector-based analysis

Training material development

• Sector-based training materials – 12 hour long training materials (75% e-learning and online simulation game) in 4-4 vertical and horizontal sectors

European certification

• Criteria of business mentor assessment
• Business mentor certification scheme manual

Dissemination events

• Pilot trainings for future mentors
• Dissemination materials – project flyer, website
• Multiplier events – workshops and conference in 4 countries (Hungary, the UK, Portugal and Poland)

Website of the project: https://mac-team.eu/index.php/mm-value-fields/mm-project-portfolio/mm-mentorcert

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. 

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Higher education

Financed directly by the Polish National Agency.

BBS participated ad partner in the project.

Project reference number: 2016-1-PL01-KA203-026569

Project duration: 01.09.2016 – 31.08.2019

Grant received: 312 980 EUR, ca. 96,7 M HUF, part of BBS: 22 110 EUR, ca. 6,8 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS

Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny W Katowicach, Poland – Coordinátor

Seinajoki University Of Applied Sciences Ltd, Finland

Universite Savoie Mont Blanc, France

Universitatea Din Bucuresti, Romania

Universita Degli Studi Di Trento, Italy

Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen Howest, Belgium

Budapest Business School, Hungary

Isik University, Turkey

BBS core team

Papp Judit, Kasza Lajos

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

The project Consume-aware is based on the evidence collected through secondary sources analysis, as well as on the research in the field of consumers' rights and their protection on common European market which prove that there is a need in European Union for specialists in consumers rights protection. It leads to the conclusion that Higher Education Institutions shall educate students to become specialists in this area on European level what can be achieved only in transnational cooperation while exchanging knowledge.

Research showed that there is a strong connection between the persons’ level of education and the consumption of goods and services, also studies proved that the academic education and customer experience raise together awareness of the consumers rights. What is more, the consumer protection is important also from the business sustainability point of view, it is important to start from building a responsible business and include the customer value among the company’s values.

As a result, the Consume-aware project role is to create framework for consumer specialist knowledge transfer through creating an interactive educative platform with MOOC on consumer awareness. According to European Consumer Agenda 2012, despite a generally high level of consumer protection guaranteed by EU legislation, problems encountered by consumers are still too often left unresolved. Moreover, enforcement authorities face new practical challenges such as resource constraints, which hamper their effectiveness, especially in cross-border situations.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

• IO1: Consume-aware MOOC collaborative platform
• IO2: Book “Consumer Protection Standards in Europe”
• IO3: Consume-aware Mobile Application
• Multiplicator events (1 conference and 2-2 Intensive programmes for higher education learners and teachers)

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. 

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Higher education

Financed directly by the Tempus Public Foundation.

BBS participated as coordinator in the project.

Project reference number: 2016-1-HU01-KA203-022930

Project duration: 31.12.2016 – 31.12.2018

Grant received: 216 498 EUR, ca. 67,1M HUF, part of BBS: 63 300 EUR, ca. 19,6 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS

Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary – Coordinator

Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom

Cracow University of Economics, Crakow, Poland

MAC-TEAM aisbl, Brussels, Belgium

CEPOR Centar za politiku razvoja malih i srednjih poduzeca i podzetnistva, Zagreb, Croatia

BUSINESS HUNGARY – Confederation of Hungarian Employers and Industrialists, Budapest, Hungary

BBS core team

Dr. Ábel István, Dr. Losoncz Miklós, Dr. Németh János Pál, Dr. Nick Chandler, Madarasiné Dr. Szirmai Andrea, Dr. Juhász Péter (external expert), Dr. Csillag Sára, Szászvári Karina, Dr. Németh Tamás, Ujváry Lajos

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

An ongoing project - called INSIST - is led by Budapest Business School in the frames of the Erasmus+ programme’s vocational education and training strand. The project’s aim is to offer trainings helping SME Family Business owners and/or managers to cope with the complex challenges of the imposing generational transition (GT). INSIST is a VET project with the major target group of the elderly entrepreneurs facing transition in Europe in general and those facing this transition the first time in their country’s entrepreneurial history in the Central and Eastern EU countries in particular.

INSIST project produced country reports on the partner countries’ SME FB systems and the findings proved to be much more significant than anticipated. The results of Insist research, outreaching much beyond the scope of that project can be boiled down in two major outcomes:

• There is an increasing need for appropriate SME FB-mentor trainings with special focus on soft skills, hard knowledge and competences in the countries, but such courses are essentially missing. This conclusion originated another ongoing VET project, called TRUST ME, targeting to produce VET teaching modules for fast-track SME FB-mentor training.
• During the implementation of the project Insist partners realised that a very dynamic development of the FB research is evolving rapidly in Europe. Family Businesses (FB), giving an overwhelming contribution to the countries’ GDPs (above 70%!), are endangered without having external support helping them develop a sustainable strategy in general and manage a velvet GT in particular. Getting in contact with protagonists in FB issues in Europe like the Cepor-Transeo (EU association) and BUSINESSHUNGARY - BUSINESSEUROPE (EU federation) partners understood that Insist could be considered as a light VET medication to solve the problem, but in order to handle the problematic in the long run partners need to resort to heavier measures and develop a much more in depth remedy, a complete 2nd year of a Master programme with an extended scope for the SME FBs. In particular it turned out that governance transmission is a real weak point of the GT and that internationalisation should be among the priorities at the very first stages of GT. This was the real genesis of the present project proposal.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

• IO1 Collating – Collection and systemizing of research results
• 4 training modules in English (partly face-to-face, partly e-learning)

o IO2 Fundamentals of SME management (Strategy, Marketing, Logistics… )

o IO3 Entrepreneurial finance (From controlling performance to anticipation and management of exit)

o IO4 Corporate Governance, HR, Immigrants’ Integration

o IO5 Transition issues (Psychology of transmission of power, engineering of the process of transition)  

IO6 Work-based learning plan

• Dissemination materials – project flyer, website
• Multiplier events – workshops and conference in 3 countries (Hungary, Poland and the United Kingdom)

Website of the project: https://mac-team.eu/index.php/mm-value-fields/mm-project-portfolio/mm-fame

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Vocational education and training

Financed directly by the Spanish National Agency.

BBS participated as partner in the project.

Project reference number: 2015-1-ES01-KA202-015934

Project duration: 01.10.2015 – 30.09.2017

Grant received: 137 129 EUR, ca. 42,5M HUF, part of BBS: 16 973 EUR, ca. 5,3M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS

Utopicus Innovacion Cultural S.L., Madrid, Spain – Coordinator

Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary

Instituto para el Fomento del Desarrollo y la Formación S.L. (INFODEF), Valladolid, Spain

Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland

BEST Institut fur Berufsbezogene Weiterbildung und Personaltraining (BEST), Wien, Austria

BBS core team

Sándorné Dr. Kriszt Éva, Ivanyos János, Dr. Győri Zsuzsanna, Tasi Péter

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

The emerging new phenomenon of Green Entrepreneurship is generating a growing demand of new professionals equipped with the skills necessary to support the entrepreneurial activities combined with the specific domain of the environmental areas. A type of professional able to:

a) support the creation of -or the transition to- "green companies" by means of measures such as waste prevention, ecodesign, recycling or efficiency;

b) promote entrepreneurship education in VET, creating awareness about environmental problems linked with entrepreneurship opportunities;

c) provide technical knowledge to help entrepreneurs to identify green gaps in the market and to find corresponding solutions;

d) increase the employability of unemployed workers, women and young people providing support and guide to start a career as entrepreneurs in the field of green economy.

GREEN MENTOR project aims to design and elaborate innovative VET contents and products to encourage the new professional profile of Mentor for Green Entrepreneurs, identifying and developing the competences, methodologies and tools required by these Mentors to effectively support green entrepreneurship in Europe through VET.

Objectives:

• Identify the knowledge, skills and competences that Mentors for Green Entrepreneurs requires to effectively support green entrepreneurship in Europe through VET
• Increase transparency and mobility of Mentors for Green Entrepreneurs by means of recognition and validation of competencies based on the ECVET tools and methodology
• Design innovative contents and methodologies to promote green entrepreneurship in VET
• Train and up skill mentors working on VET centers, public institutions and in the industry, on new pedagogies and practical tools to support unemployed workers, women and young people in green entrepreneurship
• Promote and facilitate access to mentors, VET providers and other relevant stakeholders to the innovative VET products developed by the project

Main results and outputs of the project/research

Intellectual Output 1. State of the Art Report on mentoring of green companies in Europe: The State of the Art Report aims at providing a clear understanding about the context and situation of mentoring of green companies and entrepreneurs: main strategies and existing policies, training needs, Green Mentor’s requirements in terms of skills and competencies, innovative methodologies, good practices, stakeholders, etc.

Intellectual Output 2. Mentor for Green Entrepreneurs ECVET Curriculum: The development of the ECVET Curriculum has started from the needs identified in the State of Art Report and its recommendations, and it is based on the EQF and ECVET frameworks and guidelines. The main objective is to design a training Curriculum by defining and developing the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies for the innovative professional profile of Mentor for Green Entrepreneurs.

Intellectual Output 3. GREEN MENTOR Handbook: Its main objective is to provide in depth information about new approaches and innovative methodologies on mentoring of green companies. This product has been developed on the basis of State of Art and aims to be a useful tool, complementary with other practical products of the project.

Intellectual Output 4. GREEN MENTOR Toolkit: The Toolkit is a useful resource of practical information for the direct implementation of innovative methods in mentoring of green companies. It contains a set of practical tools and methods adapted to the specific needs of Mentor for Green Entrepreneurs- and other users and beneficiaries of the project- to be applied in the organizations, services and professional activities related.

Intellectual Output 5. Video lessons: Green entrepreneurship: Video lessons has been designed and developed as a pedagogical tool and also as a promotional media, in connection with the main objectives of the project. Videos are structured as documentary-lesson on different topics of Green Entrepreneurship, and are aimed to:

a) engage and motivate target beneficiaries and end-users

b) spread innovativeness and values of the project

c) give visibility to the outputs and results

d) serve as an educational tool for Mentors for Green Entrepreneurs

Intellectual Output 6. OPEN ONLINE CENTER: The present Open Online Center provides project related key details about GREEN MENTOR scope, objectives, partnership, achievements, events and news. It also provides access to the project results as Open Education Resources. Furthermore, it contains the GREEN MENTOR PEDIA: a networking tool, dissemination hub and source of relevant information for target users and beneficiaries

Website of the project: http://greenmentor-project.eu/?lang=hu

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Higher education

Financed directly by the Spanish National Agency.

BBS participated as partner in the project.

Project reference number: 2014-1-ES01KA203-004892

Project duration: 01.09.2014 – 31.08.2016

Grant received: 206 050 EUR, ca. 65M HUF, part of BBS: 24 395 EUR, ca. 7,7M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS

Universidad de la Iglesia de Deusto, Bilbao, Spain – Coordinator

Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary

Fundacion Tecnalia Research & Innovation, Derio, Spain

Jyväskyla University of Applied Sciences, Jyväskyla, Finland

BBS core team

Dr. Csillag Sára, Tasi Péter, Zsigmond Száva, Mosolygó-Kiss Ágnes, Dr. Radácsi László, Dr. Németh Tamás, Radványi Marcell

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

The need of entrepreneurial mindset and action oriented European citizens is taken for granted. Reports from European Commission, OCDE, Education and Economy Ministries form EU countries express this need, send key message to raise awareness and give policy recommendation.

Higher education institutions are becoming more aware so they are taking actions to develop an entrepreneurial mind set in their under and post graduate students

The aim of the project is to create a Master on Entrepreneurship and innovative Leadership for the development of entrepreneurial skills in Higher Education students with an innovative action learning methodology approach with a new curricula and contents, and to implement and test a post graduate pilot program.

So this project addresses mainly the following needs:

• The need to boost entrepreneurial and leadership competences and capabilities in order to foster employability and the creation of new businesses.
• The need to innovate in the educational approaches, offering new learning methods, focused more on the learners than on the contents, transforming the student into an active learner and a future professional.
• The need to reinforce the links between education and training with the world of work; educational and professional worlds in more fluid interaction.

The project has three main lines of action:

• Exchange practices and approaches about entrepreneurial training to create, develop and organize training and experiential activities. Also with a deep look into what is currently happening in the educational sector at all levels from school to Vocational and Higher Education.
• Design, implement and evaluate a set of activities in Higher Education environment to facilitate alumni to gain entrepreneurial awareness and competences to co-create their personal and team business ideas and personal brand. This set of activities will be part of a postgraduate Master degree.

Dissemination and exploitation of project results and involvement to all the stakeholders of the Higher Education, educational and institutional level.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

Intellectual outputs:

• IO1 - Partners’ current practices on entrepreneurship education
• IO2 - Study on current innovative practices on entrepreneurship education around Europe
• IO3 - Master in Entrepreneurship and innovative Leadership
• IO4 - Hands on Entrepreneurship Methodology and Training material
• IO5 - Main learnings and conclusions
• IO6 - Dissemination and exploitation

Multiplier events:

• Stakeholders and expert workshops in Spain (Basque country), Finland and Hungary
• „Innovate or die days” for students in Spain (Basque country), Finland and Hungary
• Final conference in Spain (Basque country)

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Higher education

Financed directly by the Czech National Agency.

BBS participated as partner in the project.

Project reference number: 2015-1-CZ01-KA203-013992

Project duration: 01.06.2015 – 01.09.2017

Grant received: 168 193 EUR, ca. 52,9 M HUF, part of BBS: 38 410 EUR, ca. 12,1 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS, members of the BBS team

Ceske Vysoke Uceni Technicke v Praze, Prague, Czech Republic – Coordinator

Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary

Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal

Universidad De Leon, Leon, Spain

BBS core team

Dr. Jancsik András, Kovátsné Dr. Loch Ágnes, Dr. Pál Ágnes

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

The main objective is to innovate ICC language teaching and learning in HE in the light of new technologies, new participatory cultures of learning, and global employability.

In an increasingly globalised world of intercultural dialogue and international business, HE is facing challenges such as communication barriers, cultural stereotypes, prejudice, identity conflicts and language deficiency which compounds the lack of skills to interact successfully. Only through the acquisition of ICC can these problems be minimised.

Therefore, the project’s target groups are:

• Language and intercultural HE educators at the partner institutions
• Students of 4 partner universities, including Erasmus exchange students.

Expected results:

• To share best practice, outline current trends and challenges of ICC from the perspective of relatively homogeneous European cultures (Hungary, the Czech Republic), and compare and contrast it with other European cultures which are in themselves heterogeneous or expand (for historical reasons) into other world cultures (such as Portugal or Spain), and conduct analysis of materials and approaches available in HE in relation to these countries.
• To develop and implement an innovative ICC course and course materials which will meet current European educational policy standards and which in the long term perspective can be undertaken by further educators.
• To support participating exchange students’ adaptation to different cultures and to transcultural environments by developing their ICC within the framework of plurilinguism and English/Spanish as a Lingua Franca (interpersonal, intrapersonal, experiential and reflective skills);
• To strengthen students’ skills and confidence in searching for job opportunities at home and abroad based on understanding and ability to negotiate global transnational and transcultural environments;
• To support and facilitate students’ and teachers’ mobility through the virtual platform of telecollaboration, using ICT tools as a part of methodology and to develop the electronic literacies of all participants.
• To support university educators´ proficiency and confidence in teaching language-based (and non-language-based) ICC and to do so from an informed transcultural and transnational perspective.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

• Best practice survey
• IO1 Innovative ICC Educational Materials
• IO2 Revising and Editing Innovative Course Activities and Materials
• IO3 Implementation of Innovative ICC Content in Courses/Curricula
• Dissemination
• Multiplier events: Specialist forum, Professional seminar, conference, short term staff-exchange

Website of the project: http://iccageproject.wixsite.com/presentation

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. 

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Vocational education and training

Financed directly by the Tempus Public Foundation.

BBS participated as coordinator in the project.

Project reference number: 2014-1-HU01-KA200-002307

Project duration: 01.09.2014 – 31.12.2016

Grant received: 298 807 EUR, ca. 91,5M HUF, part of BBS: 74 138 EUR, ca. 22,7M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS

Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary – Coordinator

Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom

Cracow University of Economics, Cracow, Poland

ADINVEST – AZUR Valorisation, Avignon, France

MAC-TEAM aisbl, Brussels, Belgium

Confederation of Hungarian Employers and Industrialists, Budapest, Hungary

Employers Union of Malopolska LEWIATAN, Cracow, Poland

BBS core team

Prof. Dr. Heidrich Balázs, Prof. Makó Csaba, Ivanyos János, Dr. Németh János Pál, Madarasiné Dr. Szirmai Andrea, Dr. Ilyés Csaba

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

Rationale

How to deal with the transfer of businesses from one generation to the next is an issue for the sustainability of all economies. Central and Eastern economies are facing this challenge for the first time, as the wave of entrepreneurs that emerged in the 1980s approach retirement age. In the more established market economies of Northern, Western and Southern Europe, significant challenges are emerging in relation to the sustainability of enterprises, particularly family businesses as they move towards the third or fourth generation of owners and leaders. 

Family businesses are an important part of all national economies accounting for between 70-80 per cent of all businesses and 40-50 per cent of all private sector jobs. Whilst some of the largest European companies are family businesses, a large share of European SMEs are family businesses. SMEs are generally recognised as a key driver for economic growth, innovation, employment and social integration. How to encourage them to start, survive and prosper is a key priority for governments and other stakeholders at the local, regional, national and European levels.

Objectives

This project seeks to support the survival and growth of family based SMEs in two ways. Firstly, through research to gather and disseminate information to highlight the specific characteristics of the family-based SME sector. Secondly through the development and piloting of higher level training modules that are in tune with the interests and needs of those seeking to manage and lead or support successful, sustainable family SMEs.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

Research: National reports and case studies (Hungary, Poland and the UK), Comparative report and Recommendation report to decision makers

Training material development: 4 training modules in 50-70 pages with PPT presentation slides and complementary/recommended readings

• Strategic module
• Mentoring module
• Financial and legal module
• Socio-cultural module

Pilot trainings for practitioners and students

Dissemination materials – project flyers, website, special issues in the Budapest Management Review

Multiplication events – workshops and conference in 4 countries (Hungary, Poland, the UK and France)

Website of the project: https://mac-team.eu/index.php/mm-value-fields/mm-project-portfolio/mm-insist

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Higher education

Financed directly by the German National Agency.

BBS participated as partner in the project.

Project reference number: 2014-DE01-KA203-000624

Project duration: 01.09.2014 – 31.08.2017

Grant received: 404 090 EUR EUR, ca. 126,2 M HUF, part of BBS: 25 409 EUR, ca. 7,9 M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS

Universitaet Kassel, Kassel, Germany - Coordinator

Universita Degli Studi Di Pavia, Pavia, Italy

Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary

Haskoli Islands, Reykjavik, Iceland

Universidad De Leon, León, Spain

Vaasan Yliopisto, Vaasa, Finland

International Business School At Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania

Universita Degli Studi Di Trento, Trento, Italy

Universite De Savoie, Chambery, France

Stichting Hogeschool Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands

BBS core team

Dr. Jancsik András, Papp Judit

Objectives, rationale of the project

The baseline for the education and advanced studies is university activites. Many European universities have however built up these activities without utilizing the full potential of the cooperation opportunities of the European framework. The currently dominant higher education system is underdeveloped in more than one aspect including practice-oriented support; the students of today, and therefore the entrepreneurs of tomorrow are not prepared well enough for the challenges of their future. This is particularly valid for customer relationship management, digital marketing and the development of the European aspect of communication plans.

Our project focuses on professionalising the communication measures of entrepreneurs in different cultural contexts. The project addresses the challenge of customer relationship management of entrepreneurs: the entrepreneurs are very often innovators in their own field of expertise however they are not enough trained or qualified in building and maintaining customer relations, and therefore they do not trust in the role of modern technologies that could support them in their customer relations communication activities.

As the Start-ups of today often target international markets instead of local markets already from the beginning, the situation is further complicated by having to negotiate in an international business and communication environment.

Main results and outputs of the project

• O1 Study for planning the marketing and communication strategies
• O2 Study for Incubator houses
• O3 Publications in Journals
• O4 Conference proceedings
• O5 Evaluation tools
• O6 Teaching materials for entrepreneurs and communication
• Multiplicator events: Stakeholder workshops (in 4 countries) and a closing conference
• 3 Intensive programmes

Website of the project:

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project

European Commission, ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership, Vocational education and training

Financed directly by the Tempus Public Foundation.

BBS particapated as coordinator in the project.

Project reference number: 2015-1-HU01-KA202-013535

Project duration: 01.11.2015 – 28.02.2018

Grant received: 257 151 EUR, ca. 80,1M HUF, part of BBS: 48 345 EUR, ca. 15,1M HUF

International consortium, role of BBS, members of the BBS team

Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary – Coordinator

Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Lahti, Finland

Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

ADINVEST International, Paris - Avignon, France

Confederation of Hungarian Employers and Industrialists, Budapest, Hungary

CDM Consulting - Fundatia Centrul de Dezvoltare Manageriala, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

BBS core team

Madarasiné Dr. Szirmai Andrea, Dr. Csillag Sára, Szászvári Karina, Zsigmond Száva, Dr. Németh Tamás, Tasi Péter, Csongrádi Gyöngyi, Csizmadia Péter (external expert)

Objectives, rationale of the project

Rationale

EU level comparative statistics reveal high bankruptcy rates in the SME sectors of the member countries. It is an even more striking phenomenon in the new, Central and Eastern European members. Since the contribution of the SME sector to the GDP is overwhelming in most of the countries it is appropriate to look for remedies. For these reasons it is necessary to point out shortages which can be blamed for SMEs’ weak sustainability and to fill these gaps. This has become high priority of the national economies. This analysis has sensibilised Budapest Business School (BBS) to develop and extend its curriculum system targeting SMEs with the help of a series of European project. The latest element of this series is Trust me project.

The mentioned projects of BBS produced training materials for divers SME target groups and potential entrepreneurs. The different degree-delivering and non-degree blended-learning (b-learning) courses were tailored to the needs of specific clusters of SMEs and developed the teaching staffs’ capability in on-line work. However, as far as the operational SMEs are concerned our training experience and the feed-back of the participating entrepreneurs pointed out that traditional and even b-learning training are not ideal for the entrepreneurs any longer and that various sort of mentoring increasingly proves to be a more effective mechanism. The partners realised that a mentoring/coaching approach is needed for the easy access of the entrepreneurs. This radically new approach necessitates an important change of mindset of the teaching staff. This analysis gave birth to the Trust me project.

Objectives

The major objective of the project is to elaborate an internationally certified training of future SME-mentors who, with the new hard knowledge and soft skills can work with the SME directors/owners as a process counsellor in a more personal and convivial environment. Beyond the mentor training material an entry level assessment and a continuous monitoring will be elaborated ending in a final evaluation of the learning outcomes achieved by the trainees. Pilot trainings will finish the project’s work plan with their feed- back facilitating the last fine tuning of the training material.

Main results and outputs of the project

Research

• Competency framework and skill card for mentors
• National reports, Case studies, Comparative report

Training material development

• Assessment tool of entry level
• Training module: Soft skills of a mentor
• Training module: Diagnosis and accompanying
• Continuing and final assessment tool

Entrepreneurship Centre and accreditation

• Guidelines for the establishment of SME Support Centres
• Accreditation/registration documents

Dissemination events

• Pilot trainings for future mentors
• Dissemination materials – project flyer, website
• Multiplier events – workshops and conference in 4 countries (Hungary, France, Finland and Romania)
• Transnational training programme for trainers in France

Website of the project: https://mac-team.eu/index.php/mm-value-fields/mm-project-portfolio/mm-trustme

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, Lifelong Learning Programme, Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovation

Financed directly by the Tempus Public Foundation.

BBS participated as coordinator in the project.

Project reference number: 2012-1-HU1-LEO05-05847

Project duration: 01.12.2012 – 28.02.2015

Grant received: 247 110 EUR, ca. 76,6M HUF (total budget: 329 483 EUR, ca. 102,1M HUF), part of BBS: 66 059 EUR, ca. 20,5M HUF (totally: 88 079 EUR, ca. 27,3M HUF)

International consortium, role of BBS

Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary – Coordinator

Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Budapest, Hungary

Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Employers and Craftsmen Association Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Lahti, Finland

New Mind SA, Rixensart, Belgium

BBS core team

Prof. Dr. Heidrich Balázs, Dr. Csillag Sára, Makó Csaba,Csizmadia Péter és Illéssy Miklós (external expert), Dr. Kása Richárd, Dr. Németh Tamás, Németh Szilárd, Lepp Katalin, Tasi Péter, Dr. Király Zsolt, Zsigmond Száva

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

Aims and objectives

A balanced emphasis of technological and social innovation proved to be the condition of successful conversion of various technological breakthroughs into productivity benefits. Social innovation is the weak point of the Eastern European SME systems.

The introduction of the Finnish national workplace development programme TYKES gave an essential input to the famous Finnish success story raising Finnish economy among the very best in the world. On the basis of this programme Lahti University of Applied Sciences (LUAS) developed training courses of diverse forms in the sector of adult education for SME managers. The general aim of the project was to spread around the good practices of the Finnish social innovation of SMEs in the receiver countries. Adaptation and local re-design was essential part of the work programme. A joint objective here was the adaptation of the varied training forms and methods developed by the Finnish partner to the local circumstances.

The concrete objective of the proposal was to complement the so far one-sidedly developed SME-related curricula of the innovation receivers by adapting LUAS vocational education teaching materials in the field of sustainable workplace development. Another, indirect objective was to facilitate longer engagement of the elderly in the workplace making this latter more attractive with the social and organizatory innovations. Unfavourable demographic trends in Finland – even worse in Hungary – have been producing manpower shortage in the SMEs. This shortage can be lessened as a result of the project.

Numerous examples show that the greatest benefit of various technological breakthroughs may befall someone else than the company or even state where the technology was actually developed. The major reason behind is the insufficient managerial and organizatory workplace development in the company where the innovation was produced. This is even more valid in Hungary and in Romania and the project, as the Finnish model shows it, could have been remedy for this. This gives an objective in the long run. A longer term objective is, after having introduced pilot courses in the frame of the project and having analyzed the results, to propose re-designed national TYKES programmes for the receiver countries’ governments.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

Research

• National reports, Case studies, Comparative report

Training material development

• Modular training material – training material for short-term and long-term training programmes
• Strategic competence management
• Process and project management
• Workplace human innovation and development
• Methodology handbook and coach guide – book (description of pedagogical methods, research report and case studies) – Part of the handbook is the transfer of a database with 50 coaching and training methods (adaptation of the Finnish training-methodology experiences)
• Course description – Introduction of the short-term and long-term training programmes

Dissemination event and materials

• Website, project flyer, project closing dissemination publication

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

European Commission, Lifelong Learning Programme, Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovation Subprogramme

Financed directly by the Tempus Public Foundation.

BBS participated as coordinator in the project.

Project reference number: 2011-1-HU1-LEO05-03632

Project duration: 01.11.2011 – 31.01.2014

250 993 EUR, ca. 77,8M HUF (total budget: 334 658 EUR, ca. 103,7M HUF), part of BBS: 57 947 EUR, ca. 18M HUF (totally: 79 462 EUR, ca. 24,6M HUF)

International consortium, role of BBS

Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary – Coordinator

Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Budapest, Hungary

Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Employers and Craftsmen Association Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Ecole de Management de Normandie, Caen, France

New Mind SA, Rixensart, Belgium

CESIM OY, Helsinki, Finland

BBS core team

Prof. Dr. Heidrich Balázs, Madarasiné Dr. Szirmai Andrea, Dr. Csesznák Anita, Dr. Sági Judit, Ország Gáborné, Dr. Pucsek József, Dr. Németh Tamás, Dr. Király Gábor, Almási Bálint, Dr. Kardos Barbara, Csongrádi Gyöngyi, Bán Erika, Eckert Bálint, Tasi Péter, László Csaba, Sólyom Csaba, Dr. Németh Patrícia, Ujváry Lajos, Pálinkás Péter, Agócs Tibor, Varga László

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

Entrepreneurship education is in the mainstream of European vocational training development and is on the crossroad of priorities of DG Education and Culture and DG Enterprise and Industry. The gap between the two parts of Europe in creating a new entrepreneurial mindset in large populations justifies this sectoral as well as geographical transfer from an outstanding innovative French institution to two main players of entrepreneurship education in Hungary and Romania. Beyond this sectoral and geographical transfer another kind of transfer was offered: the transfer of innovative curricula is accompanied by the transposition of the know-how worked out by Ecole de Management de Normandie (Caen, France) in the field of ICT based pedagogical approaches. On top of these the results of the transfers are multiplied by the non-education institutions of the consortium having large outreach to the adult population’s different target groups. The project is an important element of a chain of projects of the promoter Budapest Business School (BBS) aimed at the development of a virtual training environment for SMEs. This project extends its services to a major group, part of the lifelong learning cycle: adults with low level economic education. Also the project differentiates between sub groups with different education background who may need different learning contents and also varied pedagogical approaches. So far these groups have been exposed to the challenges of entrepreneurship in a limited way only but the changing economic and social environment means that entrepreneurship will be central in their life. This need is emphasised by the current financial and economic turmoil. 99% of businesses in the EU are SME’s, i.e. 2/3 of all private sector jobs. Small firms are, in fact, the real giants of our economy, accounting for 80% of the new jobs created (DG Enterprise). There is a political will to recognise the central role of SME’s in the EU economy (see Small Business Act). But, despite its huge economic importance, entrepreneurship is not a preferred career option (60% of the citizens say that setting up their own business has never even occurred to them). Our Leonardo da Vinci project helps reverse this trend on the local basis in Hungary and Romania and set the right mindset at the levels of the mentioned large target groups. This is in perfect conformity with the explicit priorities of the Hungarian and Romanian governments. BBS, in the frame of international co-operations worked out joint online curricula on Master level in multilingual settings. These activities carried out in standard e-learning frames. Now the project diversifies the output and offer: on one side research-based learning modules covering basic knowledge on SMEs localized on and tailored to (level + pedagogy) the target groups and on the other side the project produced an other output facilitating the development of entrepreneurial skill groups by using Web2.0 techniques and business games in order to make the approach more attractive for the target groups. The experience of the transfer deliverer member of the consortium is a token of the success. SME federations with strong vocational education profile were invited to the consortium with well-defined special tasks.

During pilot trainings the pedagogical activities have been validated by samples of 2 strands of the adult target population and usefulness in real life situations have been measured. The Finnish subcontractor CESIM OY (Helsinki) has a strong experience in online knowledge assessment and so evaluated the student achievements at the end of the pilot courses. A professional evaluator was also invited to the consortium. Impacts on the structure and staff of the education institution members as well as on the two target groups’ entrepreneurial mindset were foreseeable.

The adapted course contents cover most of the basic needs of SME’s needed for the special target group. This content adaptation was underpinned by applied research helping the content to be tailored to the target groups. The ICT based pedagogy was also adapted to the population: the selection and implementation of web-based tools were done by the partners’ experts but led by the transfer deliverer.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

Results and outcomes:

• 18-18 trained e-curriculum developer trainers and IT specialist in Hungary and Romania
• adaptation of 30 modules in the field of Entrepreneurship
• more than 100-100 participants at the pilot trainings
• special, personalised study programmes
• interactive, individual study
• special combination of e-learning and business simulations
• cooperation of business schools and the representatives of the world of labour

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Institutional framework and financier of the project/research

EACEA, Lifelong Learning Programme, ERASMUS Multilateral projects Subprogramme, Virtual Campuses

Financed directly by the EACEA.

BBS participated as coordinator in the project.

Project reference number: 134350-LLP-1-2007-1-HU-ERASMUS-EVC

Project duration: 01.10.2007 – 31.03.2010

Grant received: 295 861 EUR, ca. 88,8M HUF (total budget: 394 481 EUR, ca. 118,3M HUF), part of BBS: 80 996 EUR, ca. 24,3M HUF (totally: 107 995 EUR, ca. 32,4M HUF)

International consortium, role of BBS

Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary – Coordinator

Université Paris Ouest – Défense, Paris, France (withdrawn from the project)

Essex Business School, University of Essex, Essex, United Kingdom

University of Technology, Business and Design, Wismar, Germany

Confederation of Hungarian Employers and Industrialists, Budapest, Hungary

Bundesverband Mittelstandische Wirtschaft, Schwerin, Germany

Ecole Supérieure de Commerce et de Management Tours-Poitiers, Tours cedex, France (replacing the withdrawn French partner)

BBS core team

Dr. Roóz József, Sándorné Dr. Kriszt Éva, Dr. Gubán Miklós, Dr. Ternovszky Ferenc, Dr. Konnerth György, Dr. Eszes István, Dr. Pucsek József, Ujváriné Melich Katalin, Dr. Marosán György, Dr. Jánosa András, Ivanyos János (external expert), Dr. Csesznák Anita, Dr. Ternovszky Ferenc, Dr. Illés Ivánné, Dr. Horváth István (external expert), Burján Ákos, Dr. Sztanó Imre, Dr. Kardos Barbara, Sólyom Csaba, Tátrai Anna, László Csaba, Jelen Tamás (external expert)

Objectives, rationale of the project/research

Rationale:

The promoter of this proposal, together with a French and a Belgian partner carried out a pilot Erasmus project in a trilingual electronic environment to make the first steps towards the objective of elaborating joint diploma on line courses for SMEs. They also invited SME federations in order to ensure the relevance of the SME curricula. The first promising results encourage the two original partners (without the Belgians withdrawn from the team) to complete the consortium with Essex University, well known about its mastery in comparative international SME research, and with Fachhochschule Wismar, with a rich experience in SME training with ICT support in the Eastern part of Germany, to put forward the following proposal:

All the four institutions have a large student community and also an important target group composed of adult entrepreneurs having interest in Master level courses focused on SME issues. The consortium intends to elaborate a method allowing developing four equivalent Master diplomas (a joint diploma), nonetheless keeping the local languages for the teaching procedure. A co-developer system by subjects is proposed to be set up and these co-responsible experts – 4 by subjects – are supposed to work together in an electronic environment. This experience will also help achieve the other objective: the development of e-learning (actually b-learning) SME Master curricula in all the four partner institutions. In this virtual joint Master the proportion of the eLearning and face to face elements that is the combination of the delivery modes will be determined subject by subject. This partial electronisation of the curricula will open the access to the trainings for an even larger target group.

Divers combinations of the already existing Bachelor level modules and the 17 Master subjects (5 inherited from the previous Erasmus project) open the way towards different competency courses needed sometimes more than the degree courses. In such a way the project will produce a Multilingual Virtual University for SMEs.

The curricula of the 17 subjects are expected to have a 4-country comparative character aiming at the facilitation of the international mobility of entrepreneurs who have received this joint Master degree. All the partners will co-operate with SME federations who are expected to feed back on the relevance of the curricula. The participants of the 4-member module developer teams will analyse the possibility of deepening their subject with the long term objective of creating doctoral level courses focusing on SMEs.

Objectives of the programme:

• To develop 17 modules in the field of SME management, and not in general entrepreneurship, constituting the main elements of an M1 and M2 in initial education and, in different combinations with the already existing Bachelor level modules, SME trainings for adults leading to diploma or certificate. The curricula must have an important four country comparative element.
• To finalise the method of curriculum development based heavily upon new technologies – the elaboration of which has already been started in the frame of previous projects – which ensures the equivalence of the trainings and the diplomas but keeps the local languages for the instruction.
• This equivalence will lead to joint diplomas, and adding a strong language training the weak European cross border SME mobility can be developed. The use of the local languages is the key of high accessibility. The modules teaching subcontracting competences will obviously help co-operation with large national or multinational companies lessening in this way the bankruptcy rates in the countries.
• To develop e-learning – actually b-learning – curricula for all the 17 subjects taking particular care of the proportion of the eLearning elements and the face to face part which can change subject by subject.
• Here special care must be taken of those who are prevented from participating in the face to face parts of the teaching procedure.
• Interoperability of the electronic platforms and the harmonisation of the on line content development procedures will allow student cross registration, more generally the real functioning of a European digital campus.
• The comparative parts of the curricula will enlarge the European vision of the teacher-developers as well as that of the students on the SME systems.

Main results and outputs of the project/research

17 e-learning training materials (e-modules) were developed in the project:

Module 1 - Strategic marketing and marketing planning quantitative methods of marketing

Module 2 - International finance and treasury and financing

Module 3 - General strategies and policies, project management

Module 4 - Management information systems and risk management

Module 5 - Business law and economics of business and industry

Module 6 - Strategies and organisation

Module 7 - Audit of management

Module 8 - Financial policies and financial markets

Module 9 - EU social law

Module 10 - EU fiscal policies

Module 11 - Advanced accounting

Module 12 - Purchasing strategies and production and logistics

Module 13 - Management of European SMEs

Module 14 - Advanced financial analysis

Module 15 - Import-export deal

Module 16 - Starting a business

Module 17 - Human resource management in the EU

Others

Antecedent project:

SOCRATES-ERASMUS Curriculum development project

Project title: Master commun en PME - nouvelle méthode du développement du contenu pédagogique

Partners: Université Paris Ouest – Défense, Paris, France and EHSAL - Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

Project reference number: 51693-IC-1-2003-1-HU-ERASMUS-PROGUC-1

Project duration: 01.10.2004 – 30.09.2006

Grant received: 62 035 EUR, ca. 18,6M HUF (total budget: 83 980 EUR, ca. 25,2M HUF), part of BBS: 21 945 EUR, ca. 6,6M HUF (totally: 29 709 EUR, ca. 8,9M HUF)

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.