As part of RAF’s broader strategy, one key priority is supporting the development of entrepreneurship centers within universities — enabling them to deliver entrepreneurship education not only to students, but to the wider community, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and driving innovation.
One of the primary partners in this work is the Association for Entrepreneurship Education (AEA), together with which several programs have been developed and implemented, including Enhancing Entrepreneurship Centers Transformation in Romania’s Universities (ELEVATE) and AI for Entrepreneurship Education. The association’s flagship event is the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Network Conference (CRAI).
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Network Conference (CRAI)
The Association for Entrepreneurship Education (AEA) works to strengthen the community of faculty members, entrepreneurship center managers, and practitioners involved in entrepreneurship education and innovation across Romanian universities. Through its annual CRAI conference — the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Network Conference — AEA creates a shared space for dialogue, exchange of best practices, and collaboration among those who support the development of university entrepreneurship ecosystems.
CONTEXT
In recent years, the Romanian-American Foundation has invested in building the capacity of faculty and university entrepreneurship centers across Romania, helping give rise to an increasingly active community of professionals committed to entrepreneurship education and innovation. As these initiatives have grown, so too has the need for a dedicated national forum for dialogue and collaboration.
AEA was founded by Fulbright-RAF Scholar alumni precisely to support this community and facilitate knowledge exchange between universities. In this context, the CRAI conference has evolved, across its successive editions, into the premier annual event for bringing together faculty, center coordinators, university leaders, and other key stakeholders in the field.
STRATEGY
CRAI is designed as a national conference that supports the development of entrepreneurship education and the university structures dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation. The event brings together participants from universities, the business community, and other relevant organizations to share best practices, institutional models, practical tools, and fresh perspectives on how entrepreneurship can be more effectively embedded in academic life.
Through its sessions, the conference aims to foster inter-university collaboration, strengthen the national network of practitioners, and give participants access to ideas, partnerships, and resources relevant to their own initiatives. CRAI also plays an important role in reinforcing AEA’s position as a platform for connecting and representing Romania’s entrepreneurship education community
EXPECTED RESULTS
- A growing network of faculty and professionals engaged in entrepreneurship education and innovation
- Strengthened entrepreneurship centers across the country
- Cross-institutional exchange of best practices between universities and entrepreneurship centers
- Deeper collaboration between universities, external partners, and relevant ecosystem organizations
- New opportunities for joint initiatives, partnerships, and future projects
- Graduates equipped with the skills to create value and make an impact in an innovation-driven economy