Unveiling Excellence: 3rd Annual EDHE Entrepreneurship Learning and Teaching Excellence Awards Now Accepting Entries

Having recognised pockets of excellence in universities over the past years, the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme introduced the EDHE Entrepreneurship Learning and Teaching Excellence Awards in 2022. This initiative aims to showcase innovation and shared teaching and learning practices for entrepreneurship within the sector. Submissions for the award are open from the 17^th of  May until the 15^th of July 2024.

The EDHE Entrepreneurship Learning and Teaching Excellence Award acknowledges the importance of practical and relevant teaching methods in fostering an entrepreneurial culture at higher learning institutions. It also acknowledges the challenges of incorporating innovation and entrepreneurship into the curriculum while highlighting positive milestones achieved in diploma, degree, and short learning programmes. Innovation and entrepreneurship skills are crucial for a thriving 21st-century society. However, teaching these subjects poses significant challenges, often lacking in practical know-how and inspiration for students to become innovators. This annual competition seeks to highlight initiatives addressing these challenges and promoting creative thinking in entrepreneurial education.

Now in its 3rd year, the EDHE Entrepreneurship Learning and Teaching Excellence Awards calls upon academics and support professionals who have developed credit-bearing entrepreneurship modules, programmes, or courses to participate. Entrants stand a chance to win R10,000 for their university and showcase their work on a national platform.

Round 1 requires a 300-word abstract submission of an innovative credit-bearing programme, short course, module, or initiative at your institution. These abstracts will be adjudicated and shortlisted, following which the successful applicants selected into Round 2 will be required a 6000-word case study describing this programme and its outcomes. In Round 3 the top 5 finalists will be invited to deliver a 10-minute presentation to showcase the initiative to an online panel of judges, followed by the announcement of the top 3 Case Studies. The announcement of the overall winner will take place at the annual EDHE Awards event in Johannesburg on the 29th of November 2024.

In 2023 Ms. Thulile Ndlovu and Mr. Nyane Mofokeng from the Durban University of Technology presented their DUT-Ngodini Bunduz Entrepreneurship Advancement Project which aimed to spearhead community engagement in marginalised rural communities specifically the Ngodini rural communities as such communities tend to be neglected by traditional economic development programmes. The project includes 4 departments, 3 belonging to the faculty of management sciences and the faculty of Applied sciences. This project took first place exemplifying the innovative approaches recognised by the awards.

We encourage all eligible academics and support professionals to seize this opportunity to shine a spotlight on their teaching methods and courses. Don’t miss out—submit your application on the EDHE website, at the Learning and teaching Excellence Awards before Monday, 15 July 2024, and join us in celebrating excellence in entrepreneurship education across higher learning institutions. Together, we can foster an entrepreneurial ecosystem that empowers our teachers and enriches our learners.

For more information and updates, please visit the EDHE website at Learning and Teaching Excellence Awards 2024.

Media Contact: Ms Khutso Moleko – khutso.moleko@usaf.ac.za and 076 589 4174

Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) is the national platform for the advancement and support of entrepreneurship in universities across South Africa. As a program of the Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET) and Universities South Africa (USAf), EDHE aims to support academics in developing entrepreneurship through teaching and research, to equip students and graduates for economic participation through entrepreneurial activity, and to foster entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystems within.