The programme made use of professors from universities involved in the Tempus Project in which SEEU – Faculty of Business and Economics was a local coordinator.

The development of the Macedonian economy is closely linked to the development of entrepreneurship and the SME sector. Although the subject of SMEs is studied in many business and management courses at higher education

institutions, there were no study programmes concentrating on entrepreneurship, its different dimensions and its role in local economic development. As a result, there was a shortage of specialists in this area. Furthermore, public institutions at national and regional levels, which are expected to facilitate the work of entrepreneurs, are also short of specialists with a broad vision of the future direction of the Macedonian economy. The objective of this project was to respond to this need by providing the students and the participants in the training program with:

• The theoretical and empirical knowledge of entrepreneurship
• The analysis of different dimensions of entrepreneurship
• The problems of economic development in a transition country such as the Republic of Macedonia
• The analysis of local economic development issues and related policy measures
• The legal environment of entrepreneurship at national, European and international levels
• The impact of globalisation and membership of the European Union on local economic development
• The experience of being taught by professors from EU partner universities from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Slovenia and Greece, and learning the different teaching and learning practices in EU universities
• The knowledge of the latest literature on entrepreneurship and local economic development in English language journals and books
• The ability to engage in independent research at an advanced level.

The Masters and training programme were academically and financially supported by the Tempus Project No. -TEMPUS-2008-UKJPHES. The project supported professors from EU partner universities and some of the universities in the region to contribute to the teaching of the courses. The partner universities involved in this programme were:

• Staffordshire University, UK (Coordinator)
• South East European University (Local coordinator)
• Vrije Universiteit Brussel, BE
• Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg, DE
• University of Macedonia, EL
• Universita’ Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, IT
• Vaxjo University, SE
• University of Ljubljana, SI
• University of the West of England, UK
• University of Wolverhampton, UK
• Faculty of Economics, State University of Tetovo
• Faculty of Economics –Prilep, University of Bitola
• Faculty of Economics, "Goce Delcev" University - Stip
• Faculty of Economics, University of Tirana
• Faculty of Economics and Agribusiness, Agricultural
• University of Tirana
• Faculty of Economics, University of Elbasan
• Faculty of Economics, University of Prishtina, Kosovo
• AAB-Riinvest University, Prishtina, Kosovo

The results achieved were:

1. Academic mobilities - Staff from SEEU, SUT, UGD and UKLO went to 2-3 weeks (preparing course subjects)visits of foreign partner universities;

2. Student mobilities- PhD students (engaged as academic staff) from SEEU, SUT, UGD, UKLO went to 1/2/3 months (to research on their dissertation)visitsin foreign partner universities

3. 9 MA students were recruited – 6 are currently in the last phase of their studies

4. Different approach to learning with an international perspective

5. Training program for ELED for representatives of the Municipality of Tetovo & Gostivar (27 participants in total)