From Monday 12 to Friday 16 January, the focus was on YOSHI Week with the motto: Build Together, Grow Together. YOSHI (Your Online Side Hustle International) is an extracurricular programme of the E³UDRES² alliance that uses collaborative online learning. The programme encourages students to gain international entrepreneurial experience.
During the onsite week in Enschede, the 35 participating students met physically for the first time, in addition to their regular online meetings. The aim of the week was to explore different cultures, gain knowledge about international business, and build an international network. The group consisted of a diverse mix of Bachelor’s students from Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Latvia, Austria, and Romania. In addition to workshops on pitching, social entrepreneurship, growth mindset, and storytelling at the Entrepreneurs’ Bar of the Saxion Centre for Entrepreneurship, the students also visited Connect‑U, where they found inspiration in innovative business models. A visit to 053 Impact City, located in the centre of Enschede, inspired students in areas such as prototyping and various AI applications from professional practice.
Throughout the week, the students were guided by international coaches, including Maarten Bas Backer from the Saxion Centre for Entrepreneurship, who helped them further develop their ideas. YOSHI Week demonstrated the importance of international collaboration and cultural exchange in entrepreneurial practice. For many students, this week marked a valuable moment in their entrepreneurial journey, where theory and practice came together and new friendships and professional connections were formed.
Student Experiences from the week
Nanda Nienhaus, fourth‑year Saxion student Fashion & Textiles, explains: “I was missing a part of entrepreneurship in my current study programme. After graduating, I want to start a business that combines fashion and sustainability. I immediately wanted to join: it’s low‑threshold, inspiring, and together with students from completely different fields.”
She sees the diversity within the group as a major added value: everyone shares the same entrepreneurial mindset, but approaches ideas from different backgrounds. The highlight for her were the workshops in which students had to describe their strengths and weaknesses. A safe environment was created in which participants could be vulnerable and receive honest feedback. Suddenly, weaknesses turned out to be strengths after all. “Because everyone is in the same boat, the tension disappears and you dare to grow.”
The structure of the programme, the personal coaching, and seeing each other’s prototypes motivated her to take concrete steps herself. This experience further strengthened her ambition to pursue a Master’s degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship after completing her studies.
Joshua Tjhie, a Creative Computing student from USTP - University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten (Austria), has already participated in several E³UDRES² programmes: “If I had to choose one word for the YOSHI Week, it would be ‘connection’. Collaborating with students from all kinds of backgrounds and working on prototypes was a real eye‑opener.” For him, the highlight was the pitch battle with boxing gloves, a playful way to practise pitching and truly step into action. “I made a lot of progress this week in prototyping, marketing, and business models. Now I can continue developing the game idea I see a future in.”
With the YOSHI journey of this cohort coming to an end, the next edition of the programme is set to start in October 2026.
Links
➞ YOSHI
Article created by: Saxion UAS
