The English for Entrepreneurship language project, implemented by UCJO in collaboration with the University of Rijeka, the University of Cyprus, the University of Antwerp, and the University of Eastern Finland, received the YUFE Outstanding Collaboration Award 2025.
The project was initiated in 2023, thanks to the collaboration of the YUFE Language Centers, by the UCJO team consisting of Joanna Ososińska-Ciechomska, Agnieszka Pawlikowska, and Kamila Szczepanowska. The next edition took place in 2025 in Nicosia, and the next coordinator for the year 2027 will be the University of Rijeka.
The jury praised the internationalization of education, support from business experts, innovative teaching methods, the impact on students and universities, and project sustainability.
At the awards ceremony, held on 5 March 2026 during the YUFE Annual Strategic Forum 2026 in Maastricht, the team was represented by Kamila Szczepanowska (UCJO), Andreas Athanasiades (University of Cyprus), and Stephanie Hughes (University of Antwerp).
Other distinguished projects include the BioYUFE program (grand prize) and the YUFE Research Relay.
The English for Entrepreneurship project is aimed at YUFE students and involves developing their own business concepts in international teams.
The virtual component involves learning entrepreneurship concepts integrated with a language learning in synchronous and asynchronous forms, while the on-site component focuses on acquiring practical language skills sufficient for establishing business contacts, such as developing a company portfolio, presenting a proposal, drafting a business contract, etc. The project is implemented as an Erasmus+ blended mobility project. Students complete a virtual component followed by an on-site component. Subsequent editions provide the opportunity to visit a new university and learn about the culture of different educational contexts.
author: Kamila Szczepanowska