YEEP entrepreneurship Week, November 2025
Entrepreneurship Week, November 2025 in Hawassa, Ethiopia with focus business and technology
The next visit to Ethiopia is in the pipeline: From 21 to 30 November 2025 (possible alternative dates: 28 November to 7 December 2025 or 14 to 23 November 2025) we will organize the next YEEP week in Hawassa, Ethiopia. Application for participants from Switzerland is now open. Please note: the dates are not yet fully confirmed. You can chose among 3 alternative options for the date in the application form and we will take the final decision once we have the confirmation from our partners.
On what will we work?
During the YEEP week, we will work with a group of around 20 to 30 Ethiopian students, who would like to become an entrepreneur and start their own company. They do not necesseraly already have a very concrete business idea. During the YEEP week we will work with the method of Design Thinking to create first possible ideas for several customer groups. Furthermore you will be involved in giving input sessions about different topics that are necessary for Ethiopian students who want to start their own business.. We will work in small teams on different ideas. Furthermore you will be involved in giving input sessions about different topics that are necessary for Ethiopian students who want to start their own business.
Why should you participate? Because YEEP will give you:
- A unique opportunity to practice interdisciplinary collaboration in an international context.
- An insight in a fascinating country and its culture.
- Work on business ideas using Design Thinking
- The possibility to apply your know how practically for a meaningful cause.
- Support in preparation and during the trip by an experienced team.
If you are interested, we strongly recommend you to participate in one of our online information events, in order to better understand, what the project is all about and what are the exact requirements to participate.
- Monday 16 June, 20h
- Wednesday 18 June, 20h
- Monday 30 June, 20h
- Monday 7 July, 20h
- Wednesday 9 July, 20h - cancelled
- Monday 4 August, 20h
- Wednesday 6 August, 20h
- Monday 11 August, 20h
- Wednesday 13 August, 20h
To join the meeting click on this link above or scan the QR code below:
If you need individual help or if you can't make it to our meetings, contact samuel.allenbach@deventure.ch
Apply Now!
Are you a student at one of our partner schools (please note that for this years EPS-week priority first goes to students of the HFW Partner schools) or from another institution? Would you like to work during one week with Ethiopian engineering students from Hawassa to create and test ideas for possible business projects? And would you like to learn and practice design thinking?
Then apply now before 30 August 2025 (deadline) to join our team and to travel to Ethiopia with us.
To register, click on the link or scan the QR code below:
Details
Partner schools: hftm, HFW/ WKS Bern, BFH Biel/ Bern, StudentImpact HSG, FFHS, Supsi, FHNW, HEIA-FR, ETHZ.
Dates: Departure from Switzerland on Friday 21 November 2025 in the evening. Return to Switzerland on Sunday 30 November in the morning.
Who is behind it: YEEP is a project of DEVENTURE, an association based in Bern, Switzerland. DEVENTURE is a non-profit organization who offers different projects that promote entrepreneurial thinking and exchange between Switzerland and Ethiopia.
What our former participants say:
"It was a perfect opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, engage in intercultural exchange, and collaborate on a meaningful project—learning with and from each other along the way" (Sena - November 2024)
"This experience allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. Working side by side with students from a different culture opened my eyes to new perspectives and showed me the true value of learning through collaboration and shared experiences." (Jenu - November 2024)