LEARNING EUROPEAN BUSINESS MODELS

Анотація

This paper is devoted to the main results, ideas and skills that the project team gained and want to share. The project team is the Jean Monnet Module «European business models: transformation, harmonization and implementation in Ukraine» № 587138-EPP-1-2017-1-UA-EPPJMO-MODULE (the joint project of National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Fund and Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, supported by the EC).
The aim of the module "European business models: transformation, harmonization and implementation in Ukraine" is an in-depth study of European practices of competitiveness and promotion of the EU transformation process benefits. The project activities included a forum, a roundtable, trainings, seminars and lectures in the framework of existing subjects, research and publications. After 3 years the project team could highlight as the main outputs: the student projects aimed at solving urgent problems of Ukrainian business structures using the experience of enterprises of the EU countries; new courses; improvement of existing courses; papers and presentations at conferences; advancing of didactic materials according to the results of trainings; implementing of creative teaching methods.
The module team comprises teachers of different ages, scientific experience and scientific interests [1]. This allowed a comprehensive study and a wide range of issues during the events (forums, round tables, trainings, lectures, seminars). The team tried to encourage students of economic and technical specialties, young and experienced scientists to find their niche in the EU studies.
The project team identified the module’s difference (the fifth element) during the project idea discussion. It was necessary to determine the target groups and how to make European studies personal, interesting to everyone. The potential audience excluded students of economics, management and many technical specialties. The problem was that the interesting content for a student-economist, who does not mind discussing the EU trends and dynamics, is not at all fascinated by a student-chemist. Therefore, there were three words in the name of the module and three directions - to reach the all possible interested:
- transformation; - harmonization; - implementation.
The public lectures and seminars for the large number of students of management, economic and technical specialties at KPI enhanced interest. Then the most motivated and interested bachelors, masters, graduate students, young teachers were introduced to trainings.
The core of the module is the trainings. Trainers tried to combine: a) discussion of successful practices of doing business in Europe b) enhancing students’ skills of transforming innovative business ideas into a business model; c) the first practical experience of effective team interaction in solving business simulation.
The practical orientation of the trainings was strengthened by the speeches of the invited business representatives: an independent consultant in marketing management (Ph.D. Irina Kovshova), administrator of the LLC Center "PROCOM" (Natalia Burbelo), representative of the PUMB bank management (Mychailo Liubits). Practices have focused on such topical issues as: studying client experience and customer communication in EU and Ukraine; harmonization of standards and their influence on the formation and development of European business models in Ukraine (November 2017, training courses "Harmonization of Standards as the Basis for the Introduction of European Business Models in Ukraine").
Or invited experts:
- Kseniya Kalina – Communications Manager of the National Bureau of the EU program "Creative Europe" in Ukraine;
- Andriy Anisimov – CEO & Founder of the FoodBot Start-up;
- Andriy Udovychenko – junior marketing compliance officer in Zeo Alliance (March 2018, training courses «EU as Endeavor Entrepreneur» and «Benchmarking and Strategic Implementation of the European Business Model for Ukraine»).
All invited business representatives and experts made a huge contribution to promotion of the EU process benefits. They are the life example of using such benefits.

The topic, the idea of Jean Monnet Module is important, but the project team also want to share some findings about the process: 1) First of all, there was a mixed audience of students of different age, specialties, universities. The project members made special efforts to involve not similar group of people to every event. Then the trainers created again and again small teams. 2) Everyone wants to talk and listen less. Therefore, the forum and the round table were held annually. And timing involves debates, always. 2.1) To stimulate debates: - online resources such as http://navigator.eurointegration.com.ua. This does not only support the discussion with facts but demonstrates Ukraine's interest in the issue. - games such as "Key associations with Ukraine" and “Questions” (a tool for practicing the ability to ask questions and think critically). - invited experts. 3) Let the project grow. For instance, a warm-up exercise «What do you think/feel about your professional future? Do global integration processes influence it?» for one of the trainings eventually evolved into research. 507 students of the KPI of 6 faculties and 1 institute were interviewed. The task was not to refute myths or debate about their truthfulness, the trainers sought an understanding of what the EU poses in the imagination of a student society. The research has shown that the attitude towards the EU, which is often uncertain, is based on stereotypes more than on specific knowledge about the modern development of the European Union. The results were showed during trainings and for discussion.
Figure 1. Fragment of research presented at the conference “European integration processes in the XXI century: key trends, main challenges and new opportunities”
Source: [2]
4) As a team of winners you are also a bench. The team members took part in events organized by the same Jean Monnet Modules and Projects in Ukraine. But the most important is that the team provided opportunities for feedback and self-learning already in the application. The annual round table "Academic entrepreneurship and start-up activity of students in conditions of European integration" let discuss the following topics: teaching methodology in the context of European integration of Ukraine; raising the level of economic subjects teaching in the conditions of globalization and European integration; organization of students research work in the economic disciplines learning: European and international experience.