With the likes of Stamford and MIT in America, a criticism often lumped on the UK’s entrepreneurial scene is that young people don’t get the support they need at university to set up shop on their own. Things are catching up over here though.
As part of the new EM2-STEM project, City University are building business relationships between London and the Western Balkans. It’s a mobility programme to nurture entrepreneurial and management skills.
Professor Grattan and Professor Khan of the university’s school of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences and school of Informatics are heading the project and say that eastern Europe has massive untapped potential in physics and mathematics, but many students lack the skills and support to turn an idea into a business.
Successful applicants for the exchange programme will receive up to 1,800 euros in expenses per month.
City university offers a range of services and support for students with a bright ideas. There’s a catalyst fund scheme where students can pitch ideas for funding, an industry advisory group and staff and alumni entrepreneurs and business experts on-hand for support and advice.
I met Professor Grattan and Professor Khan to hear about why they see so much business potential in the Western Balkans:
