{"id":561734,"date":"2021-04-19T03:46:59","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T03:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/egyptian-university-entrepreneurship-programs-what-are-they-getting-right\/"},"modified":"2021-04-19T03:46:59","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T03:46:59","slug":"egyptian-university-entrepreneurship-programs-what-are-they-getting-right","status":"publish","type":"blackboard","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/egyptian-university-entrepreneurship-programs-what-are-they-getting-right\/","title":{"rendered":"Egyptian university entrepreneurship programs: What are they getting right?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> Egyptian university entrepreneurship programs Part 2: What are they getting right?<\/strong> Last<\/a>week<\/a>, we looked at how universities play a vital role in Egypt\u2019s growing entrepreneurship scene, providing concrete skills for students to start their own businesses. University entrepreneurship programs offer services ranging from informal drop-in advice to tailored acceleration programs, and broader awareness-raising to reach a wider audience.<\/p>\n

We asked the experts:<\/strong> We polled startup program leaders, entrepreneurs and VCs on the biggest strengths of university entrepreneurship programs and where they still see room for improvement. Today, we\u2019re looking at what they tell us these programs do well, particularly in early-stage awareness-raising, access to resources and sector-specific knowledge, mentorship and helping students develop skills with market applicability.<\/p>\n

Being sector-specific, aligned with university expertise: <\/strong>The best university startup programs complement the universities\u2019 own specialized experience, says founding director of AUC\u2019s<\/a><\/a><\/strong>V-Lab<\/a> Ayman Ismail. \u201cCreating programs aligned with what\u2019s happening at the university is extremely important, so they benefit from and provide benefit to the university.\u201d The Arab Academy\u2019s<\/a> startup incubator program focuses on logistics, while the Heliopolis University program<\/a> focuses on sustainability. iHub<\/a> was initially focused on engineering innovations in the Ain Shams School of Engineering.<\/p>\n

Fostering connections and scaling:<\/strong> By replicating successful models in different locations, or sharing experiences that other programs can adapt, more students can benefit from university startup program services. iHub now serves 26 universities from 44 locations, with over 97k beneficiaries, says founder Maged Ghoneima. \u201cWe scaled from Ain Shams across other universities. I\u2019ve recently created a new advisory committee with eight other university entrepreneurship program leaders, to plan more interventions and replicate our success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Early-stage entrepreneurship awareness-raising: <\/strong>Sparking an interest in entrepreneurship among students who\u2019ve never been exposed to it before is probably the biggest service university entrepreneurship programs offer, say multiple sources. iHub, Cairo University\u2019s FEPS BI, Assiut University\u2019s Hemma<\/a>, and Nile University\u2019s Nilepreneurs<\/a> have all done well informally engaging students inside their universities through meetups, info sessions, webinars, seminars, and film nights, says Ghoneima. V-Lab spreads awareness about entrepreneurship to AUC students, says Falak Startups<\/a> Managing Director Youssef ElSammaa. \u201cThis awareness wasn\u2019t there when I was at university,\u201d he said. V-Lab works with many non-student entrepreneurs, giving AUC students valuable startup exposure, he adds.<\/p>\n

More formal entrepreneurship courses let students dip their toes in the water: <\/strong>Elective courses at Cairo and Ain Shams universities have done this well, says Ghoneima. Nile University and BUE\u2019s undergraduate courses in entrepreneurship (taken as business minors) encourage students to start their own small businesses \u2014 even if they don\u2019t continue after graduation, Nilepreneurs<\/a> founder Nezar Sami tells Enterprise.<\/p>\n

Connecting industry mentors with students<\/strong>: Technical and business mentorship is a key component of most university startup incubator programs, says Sami. Having industry mentors \u2014 particularly CEOs and COOs \u2014 enhances program credibility for students, he adds. FEPS BI has very good mentors, including graduates and alumni, says one expert.<\/p>\n

Holding competitions where students apply skills to real-life challenges: <\/strong>University programs excel in holding competitions that require creative thinking and problem solving \u2014 from iHub\u2019s Electric Vehicle Rally (EVER)<\/a> to the AASTMT Entrepreneurship Center\u2019s<\/a> Rally Startup Competition<\/a>, FEPS BI executive director Heba Zaki tells Enterprise.<\/p>\n

Focusing on ready-to-market ideas: <\/strong>Programs built around market needs, rather than student interests, create startups that are more likely to survive, says Sami. FEPS BI has just launched its Sustainable Innovation Lab program, focused on creating startups aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, says Zaki. V-Lab, meanwhile, is now targeting more mature entrepreneurs and pushing for commercial value, says Ismail. \u201cThe average age has increased. Most of our entrepreneurs are now in their early-mid 30s. We\u2019re launching programs that produce companies that can go to market, and bringing investments with a decent degree of success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Creating a clear, in-program link with the job market:<\/strong> FEPS BI\u2019s recently-launched Student Consultancy Program sends talented university students to startups and NGOs to work where there\u2019s no in-house capacity, says Zaki. This hands-on practical experience is highly beneficial, she says. FEPS BI also runs the Nielsen Technology & Operations Academy<\/a>, a nine-month program where Cairo University students are trained in market research, before the highest-ranked are offered jobs at Nielsen<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Universities are natural environments to foster early startup growth, because of the resources they can leverage.<\/strong> Generally, universities have access to space, equipment, labs, manufacturing workshops, and expert academic knowledge, says Ghoneima. They\u2019re great environments for testing, validating, and prototyping ideas to address particular issues, he says.<\/p>\n

The goal of most university programs? To build an early-stage pipeline of entrepreneurs:<\/strong> There are six key stages in a startup\u2019s development, says Ghoneima:<\/p>\n