International Development Project

International Development Project (IDP)

After a successful first run in 2023-2024, EBF is continuing with the International Development Project 2024-2025! This project focuses on conducting research in a foreign country for a period of two weeks, followed by two weeks of traveling across the country on your own terms! The destination is the beautiful country of South Africa. For this trip, a group of highly motivated selected FEB students, 1 professor, 1 board member, and 6 committee members will travel to South Africa to conduct research on sustainable development and to explore the country in April-May 2025 (mid April to mid May).

The research in South Africa will be carried out in collaboration with Stellenbosch University and will be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals from the United Nations. Stellenbosch is a beautiful university town in South Africa’s Western Cape province, approximately 50 km's from Cape Town. This mountainous town is known for its vineyards, student life, and rich history. This year's research theme is Decision Making about Sustainability among Entrepreneurs & Businesses. Where we aim to study how businesses and entrepreneurs make decisions about sustainability by studying the intra/inter business/entrepreneur decision making process. For the purpose of the research you will be split up into groups which focus on specific aspects of the research project.

To prepare you for the journey, you will attend a course (5 ECTS) dedicated to this project to fully equip you with the skills necessary to conduct your research during block 2.1. Following up on this, during the two weeks of research in Stellenbosch, you will collaborate with local students from the Small Business Academy of Stellenbosch University and work in focus groups. There will be visits organized (for example, to the HIV/AIDS Centre and the Sustainability Centre) which will help you to gain the information necessary for contextualizing the research. You will complete the course with a final presentation of your research by the end of the second research week. This way you will be done with the coursework before your two weeks of traveling on your own. Detailed information about the course will be made available in Ocasys from September 2024 onwards.

Your IDP adventure begins on the first Monday of block 2.1, 2024-2025. There will be weekly mandatory course lectures for 7 weeks and most weeks we will follow up the lecture by a group dinner and social until we depart to South Africa. After we return to the Netherlands, we will finalize the entire project with a celebratory event in Groningen.

The total participation fee will be between €1250 and includes flight to and from South Africa, accommodation for the first two weeks, and transportation costs for the first two weeks. After the first two weeks you embark on a South African adventure of your own design and budget.

In sum, the International Development Project offers you the unique opportunity to gain experience in conducting international research, earn 5 ECTS, boost your CV, develop your teamworking skills and make many new friendships!

To get more information, you can also join the information meeting the 8th of October 2024.

DONATIONS

We, as a committee, are working really hard on getting funds from companies and subsidies but are also looking for voluntary donations. In order for our students to be able to conduct their research in Stellenbosch, they need to raise money themselves as well. And that is where you might come in! We would therefore highly appreciate the gesture of a donation, big or small, in order for us to continue with the research project. All the money donated will be used only for the research part of the project.

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Course Details

To prepare you for the journey, you will attend the course Social Empirical Research in Emerging Countries (5 ECTS) dedicated to this project. The lectures of the course will take place in block 2.1 with weekly lectures on Mondays from 17:00-19:00. During the first two weeks of research in South Africa you will finalize your report for this course, as well as present the findings in a colloquium to Stellenbosch stakeholders and local students. Other course activities include conducting interviews, participating in focus group discussions, and interactions with local entrepreneurs/businesses.

IDP workload

In block 2.1 there will be a lecture (5-7pm) followed by a dinner (7-9pm) and a social (9pm onwards) every Monday. Attendance is mandatory. The dinners and socials are a great way to get to know everyone. In addition to these activities, you are expected to develop and work on your assigned research project together with your subgroup. This preparatory work will be concentrated on the period mainly before the trip. In total, IDP will cost you about 5-10 hours per week.

Research Background

In today's world, the concept of sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the realm of business. Companies around the globe are recognizing the need to adopt practices that not only generate profit but also contribute positively to society and the environment. Our research aims to explore how entrepreneurs and businesses, especially those in small or family-run businesses, can integrate sustainable and socially responsible practices into their business models and to understand the decision making process behind these practices.

In this research, sustainability is understood in its broadest sense. It encompasses not only environmental aspects, but also the social and economic dimensions of business operations. This involves considering the long-term impact of business decisions on society and the planet, and finding innovative ways to create value that goes beyond financial gain.

To delve deeper into this theme, the participants will be divided into teams. Each team will investigate specific aspects of sustainable business models and social entrepreneurship, linking back to the overarching theme. Through lectures, workshops, and hands-on research, participants will develop the skills necessary to conduct thorough business research and use insights from existing theoretical frameworks and conceptual models (adapting them when necessary). Collaborative discussion sessions will offer opportunities for feedback and refinement of ideas.

The final outcome of this research can be used as comprehensive advice for companies on how to incorporate sustainable practices, which will be shared with participating businesses.

IDP 2024-2025 Research Outline

MAIN RESEARCH THEME: Decision Making about Sustainability among Entrepreneurs & Businesses.

The research in South Africa will be carried out in collaboration with Stellenbosch University and is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals from the United Nations. During the research portion of this project you will have the opportunity to work in focus groups, interviews, and engage in meaningful conversations with local social entrepreneurs.

Our research aims to answer these three research questions:

● How do entrepreneurs/businesses make decisions about sustainability in their production processes?

● How do entrepreneurs/businesses take into account the business/macro environment related to sustainability in their production processes?

● How do entrepreneurs/businesses take into account internal processes related to sustainability in their production processes?

Do you want to join us in South Africa and be part of this adventure? The IDP committee will recruit a group of motivated and enthusiastic students in block 1.2 (exact recruitment dates will be updated soon). Applications will be open for all 2nd and 3rd year Bachelor students and (pre-)Master students of the FEB.

Would you like more information about what this journey will entail? Please e-mail to internationaldevelopmentproject@ebfgroningen.nl.

Thank you very much!

More questions? Feel free to send an e-mail to: z.faizi@ebfgroningen.nl

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