Changemakers in Circular Economy and Sustainability
Spring Semester 2026 - 3 ECTS
Start your journey now!
This course is designed to empower you with the knowledge, mindset, and competencies to become a changemaker, driving societal impact through sustainable entrepreneurship. By fostering creativity and innovation, you will be inspired to explore and develop venture ideas that contribute to the circular economy and sustainability. Whether your aspirations lie in startups, industry, or academia, this course equips you with the essential skills to thrive in your chosen path.
Through diverse, hands-on learning experiences, including team projects and practical applications, you’ll gain the tools to create meaningful change, tackle real-world challenges, and seize future opportunities. Join us and unlock your potential to shape a better, more sustainable world.
Learning outcomes
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Develop a comprehensive understanding of entrepreneurship and essential concepts, embracing an entrepreneurial mindset and demonstrating how creativity, innovation, and risk-taking drive change and informed decision-making in diverse contexts, with a particular emphasis on fostering sustainability and advancing circular economy principles.
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Navigate the early stages of business creation with competence, from ideation to crafting a viable concept grounded in modern methods, while embedding sustainable practices and leveraging circular economy opportunities.
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Exhibit foundational entrepreneurial competencies, including effective leadership, teamwork, strategic decision-making, and problem-solving skills, tailored to address the unique challenges of launching and managing ventures that aim to generate meaningful societal and environmental impact.
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Cultivate a passion for driving societal change and refine your venture ideas with a focus on sustainability and innovations in the circular economy.
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Gain hands-on experience to prepare for future challenges by applying theoretical insights to team projects based on real-world scenarios, fostering practical understanding and skills.
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Commit to ongoing personal and professional growth by actively enhancing your entrepreneurial capabilities, engaging in reflective practices, and demonstrating adaptability to thrive in the dynamic, sustainability-focused landscape of modern entrepreneurship.
Course Structure
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Startup Weekend Circular Economy
Participate in immersive experiences designed to simulate real-world challenges and promote active, hands-on learning.
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Weekly lectures by Experts: Benefit from insights shared by professionals, enhancing your understanding of sustainable entrepreneurship.
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Introduction to Core Concepts: Explore key frameworks and real-world case studies that provide the tools and insights to advance your entrepreneurial journey.
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Collaborative Teamwork: Engage with peers to address practical business challenges, building teamwork and creative problem-solving skills.
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Presentations and Feedback: Present your team's progress and gain valuable insights through peer evaluations, fostering continuous improvement.
Tuesday 3rd of March - 16h30-18h30
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Overview of the course and objectives
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Introduction to concept of Changemakers
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Overview of different ways of entrepreneurship
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Developing entrepreneurial thinking and competences
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Theory of Change, Societal Change and Change Management
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Friday 13th of March 16h00 - Sunday 15th of March 18h00
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Learn how to think, work and build a venture in 54 hours
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Startup Weekend is a 3-day ideathon where groups of changemakers pitch their ideas, experience startup life and build new ventures
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More about the Startup Weekend: https://startupweekendbasel.ch/
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Tuesday 24th of March- 16h30-19h30
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Explore sustainable business models and their social impact (BMC)
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Securing funding
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Fundamental financial principles for new ventures
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Tuesday 31st of March - 16h30-19h30
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Digital marketing
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AI & examples
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Strategies, building your funnel
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Tuesday 14th of April - 16h30-19h30
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Circular Data Service Cards
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Learn how to embed circularity at the core of your venture using data to guide smarter decisions
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Tuesday 21st of April - 16h30-19h30
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Culture of testing
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Create and test low-fidelity prototypes with real users. Document findings to guide further iterations.
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Minimum Viable Product
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Excursion: Offcut
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Tuesday 28th of April - 16h30-19h30
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Inner Development Goals
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Get ready for your final presentations
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Pitch training
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Thursday 5th of May - 16h30-19h30
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Presenting final business ideas
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Peer evaluation and feedback
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Reflecting on personal development and learning
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Spring 2026 Schedule
The number of participants is limited to 30 per course. Interested students should email Carolina Rovira Schmitt (carolina.roviraschmitt@unibas.ch) before February 17, 2026.
For applications, please include:1. your name, study field, degree level (Bachelor’s or Master’s), number of completed semesters, and matriculation number,
2. your knowledge/background in entrepreneurship and a short motivation statement explaining why you are interested in participating,
3. a brief description of a sustainability problem linked to circularity that you would like to solve (for inspiration, see: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview).
4. and in case that you have a business idea already, give us a short description.
Please check if ECTS from this course will be accepted by your faculty.
We will select participants and confirm 30 participants until February 20, 2026. After the confirmation email, you can enroll through the Online Services (services.unibas.ch).
Eucor-Students and mobility students of other Swiss Universities or the FHNW first have to register at the University of Basel BEFORE the start of the course and receive their login data by post (e-mail address of the University of Basel). Processing time up to a week! Detailed information can be found here: https://www.unibas.ch/de/Studium/Mobilitaet.html. After successful registration, you can enroll for the course in the Online Services (services.unibas.ch).
Applications open until February 17th
Leading Team
Sophie Schumacher
Project Manager, Sustainability Programs, Innovation Office
Prof. Dr. Pascal Gantenbein
Prof. Dr. Financial Management,
University of Basel
Anna-Elina Pekonen
Head of Entrepreneurship
Education, Innovation Office, University of Basel
Prof. Dr. Frank C. Krysiak
Environmental Economics, University of Basel
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Carolina Rovira
Innovation Manager, Entrepreneurship Education, Innovation Office
Trainers
Mauricio Campos Suarez
Eng. & MBA, Founder, Coach & Consultant
Prof. Dr. Willem Smit
Lead Faculty for Entrepreneurship, YSEALI Academy at Fulbright University
Dr. Alessandro Mazzetti
Head,
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Innovation Office
Evelyne Monney
Co-management and activities, Offcut
Lilia Yang
Co-founder and circular economy expert, oikos International Consulting and University of Graz
Testimonials
As a startup co-founder, what stood out most in the Changemakers Course wasn’t just the structure or theory, it was finally being in a space where I felt understood. It gave me room to try and fail without the usual real-world pressure, and to reflect honestly on what holds me back and what’s truly possible. If you’re thinking about launching an idea but feel stuck or not ready, this course is the safest and most inspiring space I know to take that first real step.
Marie-Kristin Fischer
B.Sc. Psychology
Looking back, this course has been one of the most transformative experiences in my academic and entrepreneurial journey so far. Through sessions on leadership, systems thinking, marketing, and sustainability, I’ve developed a deeper understanding of what it means to create meaningful, lasting change.
Kelechukwu Mbadugha
M.Sc. Business and Technology
The Changemakers course steered me into turning ideas into impact from the ground up. It opened my eyes to the power of building startups that are not only innovative but also truly sustainable at their core.
Aayushi Saini
M.Sc. Business and Technology
As an international student, this course was a stepping stone into understanding the startup culture in a new country. It helped me broaden my perspective on how businesses can be both circular and successful. The effort the Innovation Office put into curating impactful sessions—with guest speakers, industry experts, and open discussions—made the course highly engaging and unlike a typical classroom experience.
Muhammad Anas Hasham
M.Sc. Business and Technology
The course offered an inspiring atmosphere where one could witness how many creative individuals worked together on innovative approaches to tackle a major societal challenge, discovering a wide range of potential solutions along the way.
Lars Schneiter
B.Sc. Economics and Behavioural Sciences
This course helped me bridge business viability with sustainability through systems thinking, making my approach to innovation more holistic and impactful. I especially appreciated how it encouraged real-world application and teamwork, which deepened both my learning and purpose as a changemaker.
Michelle Baliguat
BA Business and Economics & B.Sc. Agricultural Chemestry
Impact Report 2025
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi
This first edition of our Changemakers course shows how students from all faculties turn this into action by developing real circular solutions.
Explore their ideas, learnings and impact.
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Carolina Rovira Schmitt
Innovation Manager, Entrepreneurship Education
Contacts
