Independent University Newspaper
Copenhagen Business School

Popular searches:

Independent University Newspaper

Copenhagen Business School

CBS launches initiative to help small businesses in Covid-19 distress

Micro-courses, round-table discussions and an online accelerator are among the plans CBS and the Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship are launching to help “reactivate business activity” in a post-Covid-19 society.

News |   01. Jul 2020

Anne Thora Lykkegaard

Journalist

The Danish government was quick to launch several financial support packages for the business sector when Denmark closed down. Now that Denmark has reopened, the businesses are trying to find their feet in a new normality, CBS has teamed up with the Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship to launch a range of initiatives and educational programs “designed to help the private sector mitigate the immediate impact” from Covid-19. The initiative is specially tailored for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Among the ideas are round-table discussions with five to seven start-ups struggling with the same challenges brought on by Covid-19; micro-courses worth 5 ECTS that address resilience in the post-Covid-19 world for entrepreneurs and small business owners; and launching an online accelerator to inspire entrepreneurs with insights and knowledge on how to survive, adapt and grow their companies in the wake of the current crisis.

For example, the 5-ECTS courses will be offered as electives on the Graduate Certificate Program (HD1), and the Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship will host the start-up discussions.

“A key part of re-opening society will be to reactivate business activities. This will be especially challenging for small businesses and entrepreneurs. We see it as part of CBS’s duty to society to do what we can to support them,” says Gregor Halff, the Dean of Education and CBS.

Andreas Gjede, Director of CSE says about the initiative:

“CSE has many years of experience in helping start-ups and entrepreneurs by supporting them in developing their businesses. We have the knowledge, the tools and a strong network, which we are more than happy to provide in order to help as many as we can through the very different effects of the Covid-19 crisis,” he says.

The main aim is to support and mentor the entrepreneurs and small businesses, but the plan is also to create teaching cases for students and entrepreneurs, and to explore new learning formats through the initiative.

Therefore, CBS has partnered up with bowline.dk, an open-source platform created by Eric Guthey, Associate Professor at the Department of Management, Society and Communication at CBS, and a group of chefs and restaurant owners as a response to the immediate crisis.

“The plan is to run a series of three workshops to bring together faculty and people from the restaurant industry to work on specific problems that can both help the industry as well as sparking new learning concepts. Right now, we’re developing those,” explains Eric Guthey and continues:

“Hopefully, we can get a more hands-on approach to lifelong learning in the classes with the students and share ideas on what we envision for the future. This could involve collaborative leadership, which is what we see in the kitchens. A lot of romanticized accounts have been written about chefs and their craft, but they are also amazing at collaborating. And that inspires me as a leadership scholar.”

During the fall, CBS and its partners will evaluate the initiatives and proceed to develop new courses for students and the business sector.

Gregor Halff hopes that the initiative will play its part in Denmark’s recovery by, in his words:

“Restoring confidence in one’s ideas, confidence in one’s ability to turn those ideas into business, and confidence in Denmark’s businesses’ ability to recover.”

 

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

CBS launches initiative to help small businesses in Covid-19 distressby

  • News

    Why so sudden? The CBS financial crisis explained

    Employees and union representatives have posed many questions in the wake of the 17 August announcement of a firing round. In this interview, University Director Arnold Boon explains how Senior Management has been working with the budget and a change of financial strategy since the fall of 2022, and why layoffs are now necessary.

  • Blog

    Uncertain times: Essential for business schools to understand their market

    The alliance of European business schools met at CBS in June to enhance recruitment strategies, stay informed on industry trends, and analyse where the global economy is heading. The CBS MBA Programmes shares some key take-aways from Associate Dean and Professor Jesper Rangvid’s presentation.

  • News

    Working hard all summer: Bachelor Admissions

    The employees in charge of bachelor admissions at CBS are a small exclusive team. They ensure the validity of diplomas and the fulfilment of entry requirements for bachelor’s degrees at CBS – and, not least, that the applicants get the necessary help to upload the right documentation and find their way around the application procedures.

  • News

    Union reps want transparency about redundancy packages

    The unions are hoping for a fair process – and the AC club is calling for transparency about redundancy packages. Academic union representatives expect that actual dismissals can be avoided among faculty members, whereas administrative staff are expecting layoffs.

  • Gif of the week
  • News

    Snapshots: CBS staff busy preparing for a new semester

    For the staff at CBS, the weeks and sometimes even months leading up to study start are spent busily preparing for new and returning students and a brand-new semester.

  • Guide

    Those odd little words

    Some words of advice from CBS WIRE’s proofreader Helen Dyrbye, a British expat who has lived in Denmark for decades. Here she explains a few tiny words that can occasionally spell BIG trouble.

  • News

    Community is key for study start 2023

    This year, showing both new and returning students the concept of ‘community’ at CBS is a top priority. There is room for everyone, and you can find others that share the same interests as you. Those are the key messages from the Student Communications team. This is highlighted by two campaigns, during the introduction week and at the Bachelor Kick Off.

Follow CBS students studying abroad

CBS WIRE collaborates with Videnskab.dk

Stay connected

Close