The second edition of the International Entrepreneurship Summer School (ESS) -2021 will go virtual.

The event is one of the multi-partnership initiatives between German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation (DSIK) – former SBFIC, Kigali Independent University and Kempten University of Applied Sciences, Germany

It will bring together twenty-five students from the two higher education institutions and will last for two weeks from Monday, August 9.

Last year, the Entrepreneurship Summer School was held in a hybrid format (half virtual and half physical).

This year’s second edition however is being held fully digital with the application of virtual microbusiness simulation training, virtual gather town events and virtual entrepreneurship case study challenges among others.

According to officials, the Entrepreneurship Summer School is well aligned with Rwanda's Entrepreneurship Development Policy (EDP), especially pillar 1 (human capital and management) and pillar (entrepreneurship culture).

Its nature emphasizes international collaboration and cooperation in harnessing innovations for combating global socio-economic and environment challenges through entrepreneurship development.

Taking place for two weeks, the event’s participants will dive in some of the business and entrepreneurship concepts like microbusiness simulations, entrepreneurial thinking, business development and growth, idea pitching and different case studies. 

This year’s annual theme is ‘aspiring to inspire youth-led entrepreneurship’ and according to organizers, it aims at empowering the youths with creative and innovative entrepreneurship skills.

Officiating the event opening in a virtual ceremony that took place on Monday, August 9, Professor Ezechiel Sekibibi, the Vice Chancellor of ULK highlighted that the summer school will open Rwandan students to the opportunities to the outside world.

"The workshop will act as a springboard to open a wide range of opportunities to our entrepreneurship students and facilitate them in their entrepreneurial journey,” he said.

This is of essence, Sekibibi says, because more than ever, we now need the knowledge of exploring the opportunities that lie ahead of us.  

"A learning experience that transcends boundaries and aims to increase entrepreneurship competency, is what we need and hope to achieve in this workshop,” he concluded.

Professor Wolfgang Hauke, the President of Kempten University commended the previous summers school, stressing that in it, some very nice progress has been made.

However, he called for more: "Through this summer school’s experience, perspectives should be opened for new ideas, new products and new communications channels,” he said, citing that creativity has to be fronted.

"However, the two-week summer school is not only about studies, but creation and brainstorming of new ideas not only in the business sector, but also regarding social inequality, climate change and other areas that participate in making the world a more responsible place,” he added.

Addressing the meeting, Jeanne d’Arc Umurerwa, the Deputy Country Director of DSIK, said that the organization is committed to support these initiatives which complement the Entrepreneurship Development Policy (EDP) beyond the Entrepreneurship Summer School.

"We are committed to working with partners beyond this, and support all forms of entrepreneurial skills that heighten the student’s enterprise development maturity levels,” he said.

Some of the entrepreneurship summer school alumni have managed to achieve more, based on the skills obtained from this workshop.

One of them is David Ngiriyeza who graduated last year and opened his own company, "Proof Made” which manufactures different food products from Soya.

In less than a year, his company has employed seven workers and can make more than Rwf800,000 in a month.

He attributes the achievement to the skills gained in this workshop.

"Entrepreneurship Summer School unlocked our fears to startup businesses, and they trained us on the proper management of the assets and business negotiation skills to keep the business running,” he said.