Photo 1: Immersion Week at ZSEM
My name is Erta Dunga and in my path to become a social entrepreneur, I left my former career as a diplomat to go back to school and join the Erasmus Mundus Master in Impact Entrepreneurship.
After almost 7 years in the foreign service, I realized that this was not my future career. That is because I saw myself working more independently and making a more tangible impact. And so, on I went to search for my purpose and my ideal path. That, paired with my long time wish of having an experience of studying abroad, brought me to the Erasmus experience. I thought that if I was starting over, why not start from scratch. After all, there is no time like today to make those dreams come true.
When I first read about EMMIE I had little information about social or impact entrepreneurs. For sure, if you are an entrepreneur your main goal is to maximize your profit, right? Coming from a country only a few decades past communism, I had faced a different reality of what entrepreneurship usually is: greedy, exploitative, sometimes corrupt, non-ethical, low salaries and unsustainable practices. In fact, it was this kind of prejudice that had made me feel reluctant to follow my wish of exploring entrepreneurship. Learning more about impact entrepreneurship and the triple bottom line philosophy opened up a new perspective for me and educated me into a fresh take on doing business. I didn’t need to search further for my next step, as I realized that if I were to go back to school, it would only be to join this program. Fast forward to more than a year after, and here I am as part of the second Cohort, in the most extraordinary experience of my life. #noregrets
Looking back, I am glad to say that this was the right choice for me for several reasons, some of which I would like to share, just in case someone needs an extra push of taking that important step toward their dream of becoming an impact entrepreneur, or as we like to call ourselves, an EMMIE.
1. Bring your own project to develop
The most unique part of the program is the opportunity to bring your own business idea with you, or explore on the way during the program, and by the end of the master, you will leave with a business plan and all the tools to launch your business in real life. This project doubles as a master thesis topic, making the work for the thesis more meaningful and not just for the sake of writing a final paper.
2. A well-rounded program
A program that caters both to those coming from the business field, and other backgrounds. As a political science student, I had next to no economics/business background, but the classes are organized such as to give basic concepts but also help the more advanced students to further their knowledge. Professors from all over the Europe have tailored their classes for this program and added simulations to bring a more practical approach, instead of the traditional theoretical classes.
Photo 2: Immersion Week at ZSEM
3. Supporting community
A cohort of the most promising and brightest young entrepreneurs from all over the world will be your community for a year and a half, to learn with, brainstorm with, share every day, in and out of class. The group is very diverse in backgrounds, cultures and fields of work (fashion, education, health, agriculture, biology, business etc.). Each conversation brings a new perspective and ideas. My favorite thing is the brainstorm sessions with my colleagues, not only about every day classes but especially about our projects (or anything really, the EMMIEs are a smart and curious bunch). And, if you are lucky, you can even find your project partner there. Sometimes students will come in the program with ideas in interconnected fields or get inspired by each other and pivot to a different direction. After all, you can’t do everything by yourself and a good partner is a rare find.
4. Networking opportunities
During the program we have had the privilege to visit many businesses, companies, unicorns, events, career days etc. and have had the chance to make many connections. The program is created such as to give you plenty of opportunities to network and get connected to entrepreneurs and companies that may serve you in the future for your project or career (you only need to follow our blog and socials to see all the events and new encounters we have as EMMIEs). Depending on the background and interests of the cohort, the guest lectures or field trips are adapted so that everyone finds points and people of interest.
5. Erasmus Mundus experience
And for travelers and adventure seekers, the experience of studying in three different amazing universities (HEC Liege, ZSEM and ISM are some of the best business schools in Europe and world), and living in three different countries, is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not only do you get to explore three different cultures, but also you will get to experience living as a local: find the good bakeries (Dubravica in Zagreb comes highly recommended by two cohorts), live with communities of Erasmus students, visit the other countries next door and make plenty of friends and connections all over Europe. I feel connected to every Erasmus alumnus in the world, as it is a quite unique experience.
By Erta Dunga
