“The essence of being entrepreneurial is not just staying in the exploration phase but also acting and daring to test and try.”
Name: Hanna Jansson
Title: PhD, Head of Unit for Bioentrepreneurship, Karolinska Institute
Can you tell us who you are?
My name is Hanna Jansson. I’m the head of the unit for Bioentrepreneurship at Karolinska Institutet. The unit has education within innovation as well as entrepreneurship and research. It is all linked to innovation and entrepreneurship in life sciences and healthcare.
How did you first discover SSES?
In 2005, Karolinska Institutet was looking for a coordinator to develop a freshly started unit, UBE (Unit for Bioentrepreneurship), in order to raise awareness about entrepreneurship and empower students at KI. I thought the position was interesting, so I applied for the job. Although the unit had barely started, it still had a course at Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship. So I had to learn about SSES as well. I realised that Karolinska Institutet was much more than a medical faculty. It had these other schools connected to it and the components of all these other faculties.
What responsibilities does a school of entrepreneurship have towards society?
The priority is to educate well-equipped, critically reflecting individuals. It also has the responsibility to not only link learning objectives to activities and examinations, but also link and underline what you do to societal needs and opportunities. For me, entrepreneurial education is very much about educating and empowering students to become change agents in the future. I think a school in entrepreneurship provides value to society by educating and empowering these students and when they go out in society they will hopefully be able to create even more value and provide even more to society with this knowledge and these capabilities.
You lay a foundation and make them get used to the mindset of an entrepreneur?
Because then it all builds on their specific educational interests and also personal interests, of course. That is what drives you, at the end of the day. What knowledge you have, your skills, but also your interests. And on top of that, you have the mindset of the entrepreneur and the tools of the entrepreneur.
Were you entrepreneurial before joining Ki?
Growing up, I was fascinated by handcrafts, particularly sewing, a skill honed by my mother and sisters. I was enamored by the annual servicing of our sewing machine and yearned for my own. At 9 or 10, I received a proper machine and fell deeper in love with sewing. This passion guided my high school studies towards textile and sewing. Concurrently, I made clothes for customers, which expanded to providing plus-sized clothing for a local shoe shop in Strängnäs. Juggling this work with my studies, I see my journey as somewhat entrepreneurial.
How has your perspective on entrepreneurship evolved over time?
As a PhD student, I shifted my focus to communicating research to the public. Working with a biotech firm, we developed products and applied for patents, embodying the “science to business” aspect of entrepreneurship I brought to KI. At KI, however, I noticed a knowledge gap, especially for students who didn’t identify as researchers. I felt we needed something more than just a “science to business” approach.
Discovering entrepreneurial learning was a turning point. This approach focuses on creativity, action, and teamwork, with the teacher as a facilitator. It’s about recognizing diverse career paths and staying open to opportunities. This approach doesn’t limit entrepreneurship to starting a company; it’s a versatile process that can benefit everyone.
What’s the essence of entrepreneurship and its contribution if added anywhere?
I prefer discussing the entrepreneurial process over individual entrepreneurs, as many don’t identify with the “hero” archetype. At KI, the focus is on entrepreneurship as a process, emphasizing its context-dependent nature. The programs aim to present a broader range of career options and encourage creativity and collaboration beyond familiar circles. Most KI programs collaborate mainly with the county council, but expanding these collaborations could provide more opportunities. Many students aren’t accustomed to creative processes, tending to focus on problem-solving. However, exposing them to such processes can unlock their innovative potential, leading to realizations like “I didn’t know I could have ideas!”.
Is entrepreneurship about maintaining an explorative mindset?
While exploration is part of entrepreneurship at KI, it’s not the whole story. The essence lies in taking action. It means not just thinking, but also doing, testing, and trying. It doesn’t always involve starting a company; it can manifest as social entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, or even public entrepreneurship.
Research for Societal Impact is a course taught by Hanna Jansson at SSES
Do students struggle with accepting differing opinions or promoting their own ideas?
In my experience, students at KI thrive in an interdisciplinary classroom, but it can be challenging due to the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. The SSES classroom is incredibly diverse, and for the entrepreneurial process to thrive, it’s crucial that different ideas and perspectives come together harmoniously in group work.
How do you facilitate interdisciplinary cooperation in the SSES classroom?
Ensuring interdisciplinary cooperation requires time and patience. The formation of effective group teams where everybody understands their role and what’s expected of them is critical. We make an effort to explain to the students that they all bring something unique to the table and that their contributions will likely vary throughout different stages of the process.
Does the social science context of these entrepreneurship courses pose a challenge to students at KI?
The challenge lies in the ambiguity of entrepreneurship. At KI, students and researchers are used to having clear right or wrong answers, and the flexible nature of entrepreneurship, where there is often more than one solution, can be difficult to grasp. The freedom and flexibility that come with the entrepreneurial process, especially when assignments are left as open-ended as possible, can be daunting to those who aren’t used to it.
How does entrepreneurship in medicine differ from other fields like Konstfack or KTH?
The approach to entrepreneurship in medicine often includes a focus on social values, as it aligns well with the context at KI. We’re currently developing a digital health course as a platform for interdisciplinary learning, inviting students from different disciplines to collaborate on digital challenges relevant to healthcare.
What are best practices for teaching entrepreneurship in a classroom?
Active project work is crucial, preferably linked to a real-world challenge. This could either be a personal challenge the student wishes to explore further or one presented by an external challenge provider. We often bring in external guest lecturers to share their entrepreneurial journey, providing a real-world perspective to the theoretical knowledge imparted in the classroom.
What are some of the things you wish you could do that you haven’t done yet?
One area where KI can improve is providing the right learning environment for entrepreneurship courses. We could benefit from having open spaces for brainstorming and prototype development. Also, entrepreneurship isn’t just about what happens in the course but what happens afterward; thus, fostering an environment that encourages entrepreneurial actions post-course is equally important.
What are your hopes for the future?
Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education at KI need to be prioritized. While we have made progress, it’s essential that entrepreneurship becomes an integral part of KI’s educational system. To achieve this, we need a top-down and bottom-up approach that includes extracurricular activities and a wider awareness among faculty members about the opportunities entrepreneurship brings. Only when these elements are in place will students consider entrepreneurship a natural part of their programs.
