BIKE-HEI: a green entrepreneurship project to become an agent of change

“Are people born entrepreneurs?” That was the question running through the halls of Mariupol State University this week as faculty, students, and international guests gathered for the launch of a new project, Boosting Innovative and Knowledge-Based Entrepreneurship in Higher Education (BIKE-HEI).

The event opened with warm remarks from Acting Rector Tetiana Marena, followed by Irina Sikorska, Director of the Center for International Education and the University’s coordinator of the BIKE-HEI initiative. Sikorska framed the project as part of the institution’s broader push to position itself as a resilient, forward-looking university in wartime Ukraine. At its heart, BIKE-HEI is about training. The programs are designed not just for students but also for faculty and university staff, with the goal of shaping participants into “agents of change” — people who carry a new culture of responsibility, innovation, and entrepreneurial thinking into every part of their lives.

For students, the face of the program is Associate Professor Inna Arakelova of the Department of Marketing and Tourism. She described a hands-on course where participants will design business models, build startups, and learn the principles of sustainable development and environmentally responsible communication.

When others see only barriers, we want you to see opportunities,” Arakelova told the audience. “Every challenge should inspire you, and every small victory should push you forward.

— Inna Arakelova.

For academic and non-academic staff, Associate Professor Valeria Podunay of the Department of Labor Economics will lead a separate track. She emphasized how the training aims to equip educators and administrators with the skills to support innovation in teaching and research, while also fostering organizational resilience in daily work.

You’ll work side by side with colleagues from Spain, Germany, and Slovenia. People always bring new perspectives into our lives — and that’s an advantage, not a fear of the unknown. The knowledge you gain here will serve you not only in your professional path but also in your everyday life. Entrepreneurship is, above all, about action. So act.

— Irina Sikorska.