Five Reasons to Get Involved with Global Entrepreneurship Week

From Monday 18 - Friday 22 November, RGU is celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week to recognise that we can all be innovators and find solutions to problems. We have a wide range of events taking place throughout the week, but if you are not convinced, here are five reasons to get involved:

1. Entrepreneurship is the future

The world is changing incredibly fast, with digital technology, robotics, artificial intelligence – every industry is at risk of being disrupted. We all need to be able to solve problems, come up with new ideas and take the initiative to make it happen. Being an entrepreneur or freelance worker is a more popular career path than ever before, and they are needed. The ability to respond quickly to change and experiment with new ideas will keep our industries thriving. You can develop your skills through attending sessions during Global Entrepreneurship Week such as ‘How to set up a business?’ on Wednesday 20 November.

2. Experiment with innovative technology

What impact will technology such as virtual reality, blockchain or cryptocurrency have on your industry? Do you know how these technologies work? Across all courses, these technologies will create significant change, so it’s important to understand what benefits they could offer. At RGU’s first Imaginize, on Thursday 21 November, you can get hands-on experience with these technologies and come up with ideas at our future fair. Not only is this a fun way to spend your lunch, but could also spark an idea which could become a future business.

3. Be the expert speaker

A typical event has an expert guest speaker, a set agenda, and the audience sits and listens. However, when considering the future or ideas, it is not always possible to be an expert because we don’t know exactly what will happen. Having the capacity to imagine, come up with ideas and share them is critical for being an entrepreneur. At Imaginize, we shall also be hosting RGU’s first unconference where the participants crowdsource the topics they want to talk about and everyone is the expert. The sessions are ‘The future is…’ or ‘My idea is…’ where you get the chance to shape the discussion and contribute your views.

4. Turn an idea into a business

Throughout the week, whether through workshops, meeting startups at a fair, or collaborating with others at networking events, there is a load of opportunities to come up with a business idea. If you have ever wanted to be your own boss or came up with an idea which could change the world, then there is a wide range of support at RGU. This week is the final week to apply to the RGU Startup Accelerator Programme where selected teams gain £10,000 in funding, co-working space, training, mentorship and more to go from idea to entrepreneur.

5. Collect some freebies

Who doesn’t like free stuff? If you have ever wanted to be an entrepreneur, there is so much free support in Scotland that it’s never been easier. From funding, to space, to facilities and more, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to run a business anymore. Gain support by getting involved in RGU’s programmes, win prizes at events like the Student Connect Aberdeen Entrepreneurs Pub Quiz on Friday 22 November or eat some free food by engaging with Imaginize on Thursday 21 November.

Whether you have a business idea you want to develop, or just want to consider possibilities for the future, take the time to get involved with Global Entrepreneurship Week at RGU. This is a chance to meet new people, develop new skills and play with new technologies. Find out more about all of the activities coming up by heading to our Events pages.