International YOSHI Week brings European students together in Enschede

During this week, the 35 participating students met physically in Enschede for the first time, in addition to their regular online meetings. The aim of the week was to explore different cultures, gain knowledge about international business, and build an international network. The group consisted of a diverse mix of students from Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Austria, and Romania.

In addition to workshops on pitching, social entrepreneurship, growth mindset, and storytelling at the Entrepreneurs’ Bar of the Saxion Centre for Entrepreneurship, the students also visited Connect-U, where they gained inspiration about innovative business models. A visit to 053 Impact City in the centre of Enschede provided students with inspiration in areas such as prototyping and various AI applications from professional practice.

Throughout the week, the students were guided by international coaches, including Maarten Bas Backer from the Saxion Centre for Entrepreneurship, who helped them further develop their ideas.

The YOSHI Week demonstrated how important international collaboration and cultural exchange are in entrepreneurial practice. For many students, this was a valuable moment in their entrepreneurial journey, where theory and practice came together and new friendships and professional connections were formed.

Nanda Nienhaus, Fashion and Textile Technologies student: “I missed a component of entrepreneurship in the programme I am following. After my studies, I want to start a business where I can combine fashion and sustainability. I wanted to join immediately: accessible, inspiring, and with students from completely different fields. She sees this diversity as a major added value: everyone shares the same entrepreneurial mindset, but looks at each other’s ideas from different backgrounds. For her, the highlight was the workshops in which you had to describe your strengths and weaknesses. A safe environment was created in which you could be vulnerable and receive honest feedback. Suddenly, your weaknesses turned out to be stronger than you thought. Because everyone is in the same boat, the tension disappears and you dare to grow.” The structure of the programme, the personal guidance, and seeing each other’s prototypes motivate her to take steps herself. This experience made her even more motivated to pursue a Master’s degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship after her studies.

Joshua Tjhie, St. Pölten student Creative Computing from Austria, has already followed several EUDRES programmes. “If I had to choose one word for the YOSHI Week, it would be ‘connection’. Collaborating with students from all kinds of backgrounds and working on prototypes was a real eye-opener. The highlight? The pitch battle with boxing gloves, a playful way to learn pitching and really take action. I made a lot of progress this week in prototyping, marketing, and business models. Now I can continue with the game development that I see a future in. And oh yes, in Austria, a bit of snow fortunately causes us less stress than in the Netherlands.”

More information about the YOSHI programme can be found at: eudres.eu/yoshi