Fostering Entrepreneurial Competences and a Sustainable Entrepreneurship Mindset in Higher Education English for Specific Purposes Contexts
Speakers: Antonia Christou & Dr. Anna Nicolaou (Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus)
Abstract
This paper investigates the integration of sustainable entrepreneurship training within English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses at the higher education level, focusing on the development of entrepreneurial competencies and fostering a sustainability mindset. By aligning course content with the principles of the Entrepreneurship Competence Framework (Entrecomp) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the curriculum introduces key concepts of sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and ecopreneurship within a business English framework. Utilizing expert training, collaborative learning, problem-based learning, and project-based learning approaches, the course encourages ethical and sustainable thinking, creativity, team work, and social responsibility, empowering language students to address climate challenges through innovative entrepreneurial solutions.
Two research questions have guided this study: 1) How do Business English students perceive the integration of a sustainable entrepreneurship training in a semester-module? 2) What specific EntreComp competencies can be developed through an ESP Business English course focused on sustainable entrepreneurship? To assess the outcomes of the training on the participants’ competencies and attitudes development, data were collected by means of surveys administered to students. The findings illustrate how ESP contexts can serve as a vital tool in cultivating a humanistic and socially-conscious perspective in business education while developing key entrepreneurial competences.
The paper concludes with recommendations for curriculum design in ESP Business English that prioritize sustainability and entrepreneurship, preparing a new generation of responsible and empowered leaders committed to positive environmental impact.
Bios
Antonia Christou is a Research Associate at the Cyprus University of Technology, actively engaged in projects on Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She also serves as a Trainer for the Climate Entrepreneurship Training and the Systems Thinking Process, and a Mentor for entrepreneurial teams in Cyprus. Her research focuses on the integration of the sustainability dimension within entrepreneurial education in higher education and the impact of sustainable entrepreneurship education on the next generation of Eco-preneurs. She holds a Bachelor’s degree on Foreign Languages Applied to Economics and a Master’s degree on Business Development by the Université Toulouse II in France.
Dr. Anna Nicolaou is a Tenured Teaching Personnel (English Language) at the Language Centre of the Cyprus University of Technology. She is the Deputy Coordinator of the Learning Development Network of CUT and the Director of the Confucius Institute at CUT. She holds a Ph.D. from Trinity College Dublin focusing on Intercultural Education and Global Competence learning through Virtual Exchange, an MA in English Language Studies and Methods from the University of Warwick, and a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Athens. Her research interests include intercultural education, virtual exchange, and technology enhanced language learning.