Basics of Entrepreneurship and Scientific Communication   (MH4OPK)

Academic year:

2026/2027.

Attendance requirements:

There are no requirements.

ECTS:

3

Study level:

Study program:

Teachers:

Petar Milovanović

Jelena Z. Radosavljević

Hours of instruction:

Weekly: two hours of lectures (2+0+0)

Goals:

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the basics of entrepreneurship and the most important principles of scientific communication.

The section on scientific communication aims to introduce students to the fundamental principles of effectively conveying scientific ideas and results across various formats and to diverse audiences. Emphasis will be placed on developing critical thinking skills and the ability to critically analyze literature. Additionally, the course will highlight the importance of communicating scientific ideas to the broader social community, fostering a deeper understanding of how research impacts and contributes to society.

The entrepreneurship section aims to introduce students to the basics of entrepreneurship in contemporary economic conditions. It is intended for students who want to gain knowledge and practical training to start their own companies. Part of the course will be dedicated to hands-on experiences and examples of successful commercialization of scientific ideas through lectures by guest lecturers with relevant experience.

Outcome:

Students will acquire the basic knowledge and skills necessary for successful written and oral communication of scientific ideas and scientific results to different target groups (funders and decision-makers, scientific and professional public, general population). Through practical case studies, students will increase their ability to critically evaluate scientific and pseudoscientific information.

Students will be able to understand the basic concepts of entrepreneurship and will go through all the stages leading to the commercialization of an idea: defining the customer/user, market research, structuring the Business Model Canvas and, finally, preparing for the presentation of the idea (pitch). The development of entrepreneurship competencies will be achieved through interactive practical exercises.

Teaching methods:

Lectures, practical teaching, tutorial.

Extracurricular activities:

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Coursebooks:

1. A. Hofmann: Scientific Writing and Communication, 5th Edition. Oxford University Press, 2022, ISBN: 9780197613795
2. L. Bowater, K. Yeoman: Science Communication: A Practical Guide for Scientists, 1st Edition. Wiley, 2012, ISBN: 978-1-118-40666-3
3. M. Wallace, A. Wray: Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates (SAGE Study Skills Series), SAGE, 2011. https://masteremergencyarchitecture.uic.es/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Critical_Reading_and_Writing_for_Postgraduates.pdf
4. Bill Aulet: Disciplined Entrepreneurship Expanded & Updated, Wiley, 2024, ISBN: 978139422513
5. Eric Ries: The Lean Startup, 2011, ISBN: 978-1119690351
6. Steve Blank: The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products that Win, Wiley, 2020, ISBN: 978-1-119-69035-1

Additional material:

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Lectures:

10 points (2 hours a week)

Syllabus:

The course covers the following topics:

1. Communication of scientific ideas and results

1.1. Communication with scientific research funders
1.1.1. Writing a project proposal
1.1.2. Presenting a project proposal to a panel of reviewers

1.2. Presentation of scientific results to the scientific community
1.2.1 Writing and publishing scientific texts in scientific journals
1.2.1.1 Abstract: concept, types and basic principles
1.2.2 Poster presentation of research results at scientific conferences
1.2.3 Oral presentations of various scope at scientific conferences

1.3 Promotion of science and scientific results in the wider social community
1.3.1 Promotion of scientific methods and approaches
1.3.2 Promotion of scientific research results
1.3.3 Promotion of the implementation and use of scientific research results in society

2. Scientific disinformation: the importance of critical thinking and critical reading

2.1. Critical thinking and critical reading of scientific and pseudoscientific literature

2.2 The concept of fake news: genesis, types and significance

2.3 Errors in scientific research, falsification and fabrication of results

2.4 Misinterpretations of scientific results: types, examples and significance

3. Fundamentals of entrepreneurship

3.1. Fundamentals of entrepreneurship: differences between SMEs and startups

3.2. Market segmentation and primary market research

3.3. Defining the primary market and end-user profile

3.4. Calculating the total available market and defining users within the primary market

3.5. Product specification and quantification of the value proposition

3.6. Defining the innovative basis and competitive advantage

3.7. Opportunities leading to a paying customer

3.8. Identifying next customers and markets

3.9. Designing a business model

3.10. Calculating lifetime value (LTV) and cost of customer acquisition (CoCA)

3.11. Identifying and testing key assumptions

3.12. Defining a minimum viable product (MVP)

3.13. Key performance indicators

3.14. Preparing a pitch deck

The literature study will be conducted according to the Journal Club model, or rather a discussion forum, where students, together with teachers, analyze current scientific publications relevant to the topic.

Oral exam:

60 points

Remarks:

• Oral exam:   10 points.
• Oral presentation on a given topic for a given target group:   30 points.
• Critical analysis of a given scientific text:   20 points.

Tutorial:

30 points

Remarks:

The practical part of the course related to scientific communication will include writing a textual and graphic summary based on a given text; adapting the same text for different target groups (experts in the field, a wider group of scientists, the general population); preparing and delivering an oral presentation in accordance with the given criteria; critical reading of the scientific text.

The practical part of the course related to entrepreneurship will involve that students in small groups develop ideas that have the potential for commercialization, defining a business model, defining a customer/user and preparing a standard short pitch presentation that they could use for applications for funding calls that support the development of startup ideas. The course will also include visits to bioinformatics companies as well as seminars by guest lecturers from industry.