UII Participates in Erasmus+ ENTEEF Project Kick-Off Meeting

Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII) actively participated in the kick-off meeting for the Erasmus+ ENTEEF Project, held on November 18-19, 2024, at Krakow University of Economics (KUE), Poland. ENTEEF, which stands for “Fostering Entrepreneurship through Freelancing”, is a two-year initiative under the Erasmus+ KA220-HED program, supported by a €400,000 grant from the European Union. The project aims to enhance entrepreneurial skills and digital readiness, preparing students and marginalized groups to succeed in the global freelance economy.

The delegation from UII included Mr. Mukhammad Andri Setiawan (Head of the Information Systems Office, Department of Informatics), Mr. Beni Suranto (Department of Informatics), and Mr. Bagus Panuntun (Head of Development of Entrepreneurship/Joint Incubator for Business and Innovation – IBISMA).

The meeting, hosted by KUE under the coordination of Prof. Grażyna Paliwoda-Pękosz, brought together representatives from six partner institutions:

  • Krakow University of Economics (Poland) – the project’s lead coordinator.
  • Universitas Islam Indonesia (Indonesia)
  • Universidad de Granada (Spain)
  • Universitatea Lucian Blaga din Sibiu (Romania)
  • Univerzitet u Kragujevcu (Serbia)
  • Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University (Ukraine)

 Goals and Benefits of the ENTEEF Project

The ENTEEF project addresses the growing demand for freelancers by equipping students and job seekers with essential digital and entrepreneurial skills. For Europe, the project targets employability gaps, especially in IT and related sectors, and provides alternative career paths for groups like war refugees. For Southeast Asia, represented by UII, the project fosters regional digital transformation, shares best practices in supporting freelancers, and expands cross-cultural collaboration.

Key project outputs include a comprehensive analysis of the global freelancer market, 10 MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) focusing on freelancing essentials, and tools for improving competence gaps. These outcomes are expected to support individuals in navigating the global freelance landscape, fostering innovation, and boosting cross-regional economic cooperation.

Highlights from the Kick-Off Meeting

The first day of the meeting was led by Prof. Grażyna Paliwoda-Pękosz, the Project Coordinator from KUE. The agenda began with an opening address by Prof. Paweł Lula, Chair of the Department of Computational Systems, followed by presentations from the partner universities. Representing UII, Mr. Beni Suranto delivered a presentation covering UII’s history, profile, and achievements. He emphasized that UII’s participation in this project reflects its commitment to extending global outreach, building international recognition, and strengthening global partnerships, particularly with European institutions.

Prof. Grażyna also chaired a session discussing project management topics, including the steering committee, governance of project meetings, team communication and collaboration, task allocation, reporting mechanisms, and the dissemination strategy. Following this, Ms. Sylwia Krzyżek-Liburska, the Financial Secretary from KUE, provided a presentation on the financial management of the ENTEEF project. Her explanation covered the budget overview, payment schedule, lump-sum-based budget model, budget flexibility, cost categories, reporting mechanisms, monitoring, and audits.

On the second day, Prof. Dariusz Dymek, the project manager, facilitated a working session to prepare for Work Package 2 (WP2), titled “The Rich Picture of the Global Freelancer Market.” During this session, participants actively discussed the planned activities for WP2, which include:

  • A1: Development of methods for data gathering and analysis (December 2024, led by Univerzitet u Kragujevcu).
  • A2: Data gathering and analysis, including web portals (January 2025 – March 2025, led by UII).
  • A3: Comparison of Europe and Asia (April 2025 – May 2025, led by Univerzitet u Kragujevcu).

These discussions laid the groundwork for executing WP2, ensuring that the data collection and analysis methodologies align with the project’s objectives of comparing freelancing trends in Europe and Asia.

Project Timeline and Activities

The ENTEEF project spans from November 2024 to October 2026, with key milestones including:

  1. Development of data-gathering methodology (December 2024).
  2. Data collection and analysis (January–March 2025).
  3. Comparative analysis of Europe and Asia (April–May 2025).
  4. Creation of MOOCs (2025).
  5. Dissemination and sustainability activities (October 2026) – hosted by Universidad de Granada, Spain, involving workshops and launching the MOOCs for long-term impact.

Strengthening Global Collaboration

Through ENTEEF, UII strengthens its position as a leader in fostering global collaboration and addressing contemporary educational challenges. The project aligns with UII’s mission to prepare students for the digital economy while fostering inclusivity and innovation.

As the only Southeast Asian partner, UII brings a unique perspective to the consortium, enriching the analysis of freelancing practices and contributing to global understanding. By bridging Europe and Asia, ENTEEF demonstrates the potential of cross-regional collaboration to address shared challenges in education and employment. (BS/RS)