Tampere University of Applied Sciences: Team Learning and Team Entrepreneurship

Abstract

Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) has a major programme in EE named Proacademy. It started in 1999 and focuses on team learning and team entrepreneurship. Proacademy students spend 2.5 years working as team entrepreneurs, setting up a real company. Students establish own learning targets individually and as a team, supported by a coach and set down in learning contracts. The most important learning tools are dialogue as well as “birth-giving” and feedback sessions. Proacademy is designed as a multi-disciplinary EE study programme, unit and environment mainly for students from Business Administration and Business Information Systems. In autumn 2012, TAMK set up an additional EE unit named “Y-kampus” for mainstreaming EE in the whole university. It provides entrepreneurship courses, events and mentoring services, as well as dedicated EE premises. All TAMK curricula include some EE elements, which are organized by and at the Y-kampus. Y-kampus uses learning approaches similar to Proacademy. Its courses can be included in students’ degrees as free choice or alternative studies. Y-kampus also organizes coaching courses for TAMK’s personnel. Y-kampus’ activities are still being developed with a view to providing services to third parties such as students from the other three Tampere universities as well as start-ups that are already up and running. TAMK’s emphasis on entrepreneurship has notable impacts: 20–25% of graduates start a company, compared with less than 5% for all university graduates in Finland.