A Validation Workshop within ERUA WP6 took place at the New Bulgarian University to discuss the results of a survey identifying social challenges and business opportunities within the Bulgarian context. The workshop aimed to present and validate the survey findings with an expert panel comprising representatives from the public sector, civil society (including businesses and higher education institutions), and NGOs. This extensive survey was conducted through semi-structured interviews between March and May 2024.
The expert panel, consisting of 26 experts, contributed significantly to the survey’s success. The process involved four test interviews and 22 validated interviews. The interviews focused on three primary thematic areas: Democracy, Human Rights, Inclusion and Gender Equality; Environmental/Green Transition; and Arts and Edges. Through these interviews, 19 social challenges were identified, and over 50 business opportunities were proposed as potential solutions to these challenges.
The workshop brought together more than ten participants from diverse backgrounds, including students, public sector representatives, business and NGO sectors, as well as academics and experts from various ERUA work packages (WP3, WP5, and WP7). Their valuable insights and feedback on the survey results laid the groundwork for developing social entrepreneurship activities aimed at addressing these social challenges from an entrepreneurial perspective.
The general objective of WP6 is to foster an entrepreneurial spirit in social sciences within the ERUA university community, with potential collaboration from STEM disciplines. This initiative aims to tackle societal challenges relevant to the thematic areas defined in the project. This validation workshop marks a significant step forward in constructing knowledge on social entrepreneurship at the NBU. With the support of mentorship activities, this and consequent initiatives are expected to lead to solid business ventures with a social perspective, addressing some of the most pressing societal challenges. The results of the survey within the Bulgarian context will be further discussed and its European implications will be outlined during the SOCIN Conference and the Annual ERUA Summit on 26th of June in Vilnius, Lithuania.
You can find out more information on these topics during the 4th annual ERUA Summit, which will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania on the 25th and the 26th of June. Two workshops are dedicated to WP6: ERUA WP6 Workshop on relevant social challenges and business opportunities (I) and ERUA WP6 Workshop on relevant social challenges and business opportunities (II). These will take place from 09:00 to 10:30 and from 11:00 to 12:30 in room L-101 at Mykolas Romeris University. You can also follow the discussion online by clicking the links above.
The programme of the event and abstracts of the upcoming presentations can be viewed here. Looking forward to meeting you in Vilnius!
