The Higher Colleges of Technology will serve as Host in the United Arab Emirates for Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009. An MOU was signed on June 9 in Abu Dhabi, by HE Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology, and Jonathan Ortmans, President of Global Entrepreneurship Week and Senior Fellow, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

The Higher Colleges of Technology is one of the largest, most progressive and innovative places of higher learning in the United Arab Emirates. They are also one of the few organizations established in all seven emirates.

Several events are being planned in the UAE during the Week, with one event scheduled in Dubai, in conjunction with The Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment.

Rob Law is the founder of ‘Trunki’ the world’s first hand luggage approved kid’s suitcase with wheels. He was rejected by the UK TV show Dragons’ Den but then went on to sell more than 250,000 ‘Trunki’s’ in 30 countries, through over 300 retailers including John Lewis. Rob is supporting World Trade Week UK.

Rob says:

I’ve seen for myself the benefits of thinking globally when it comes to launching your own business. There really is a world of opportunity for budding entrepreneurs – you just have to be positive and wholly committed to your ideas and vision. Going international with your product can be daunting, particularly in the current economic climate, but the potential returns are huge.
In fact, trading internationally has made Trunki stronger and better equipped to ride out the recession, as our diverse income stream means we are protected from the changes in individual foreign money markets.
This week is the first ever World Trade Week UK, launched by the government to promote free and open trade between countries. As creator of the Trunki brand, I’m very keen to offer my support to initiatives such as this and Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Sharing business skills and knowledge across the world doesn’t just benefit individual businesses like ours, it is absolutely crucial for the wider global economy and will be key in steering us out of the current economic crisis.

To find out more about World Trade Week, visit the website.

The countdown to Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009 has begun in London. To encourage others to join them this November, to trade goods and ideas around the world, a group of students headed to the London Stock Exchange to sell international products.

The event took place during World Trade Week in the UK, this year running June 8-12.

For the last seven months the students have been trading with the Sophie-Charlotte-Oberschule in Berlin, as part of an online enterprise project called Achievers' International. Goods bartered included German snack products such as Corny cereal bars, Knoppers and Yogurettes.

The recent naming of Sir Alan Sugar as Enterprise Tsar in the UK has left some in the business world scratching their heads. Sugar, most notable for his company Amstrad and hit role on TV's The Apprentice, was named tsar on June 5, by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The appointment has left many questioning his ability to carry out the post, in terms of his qualifications and history as a businessman.

And then there's his fortune. According to The Sunday Times'' Rich List, his personal wealth has

dropped by 100 million pounds, to 730 million pounds.

Others believe there are far better candidates for the position, naming moguls such as Sir John Rose, of Rolls Royce. Only time will tell if

Sugar will win over some of the sour naysayers, or if he'll be hearing the words "you're fired." One thing is for sure: the Tories say if he accepts the job, he won't be  hosting any more television shows.

There is a global trend in education to teach entrepreneurship, and a number of Arab countries are taking this idea to a new level. Or, rather, a new age group. The global nonprofit Junior Achievement, through its regional arm Injaz Al Arab, is targeting 11-22 year-old students in 12 Arab nations by offering entrepreneurial workshops.

"The purpose of these workshops is to introduce students to the concept of self-employment, and to give them the opportunity to meet an entrepreneur and supporting organisations," said Sulaf Al Zu'bi, CEO of Injaz-UAE. "This is meant to expand their horizons and direct their thinking towards the future in a fun way." 

Students learn basic entrepreneurial attitudes and skills required to start a business in a one-day MasterClass. They're also given real-life experiences, by meeting local business leaders and entrepreneurs willing to share their experiences and achievements.

For entrepreneurship, it seems all roads lead to Silicon Valley. These roads can begin at Oxford University, where a 23-year-old Bob Goodson--future chief executive at YouNoodle, an angel-funded company that tracks start-up ventures and works with Global Entrepreneurship Week--heard a speech and decided to drop out and make the move to California.

Or, there's Vikas Gupta of Chandigarh, India, who first worked for Amazon.com and later founded Jambool, a company that facilitates online payments for social networks.

But while opportunities for entrepreneurs abound in Silicon Valley, particularly for foreign-born entrepreneurs, there are also a number of challenges--visa rules and technical problems of cross-border business practices.

The Financial Times talks to several entrepreneurs who are calling Silicon Valley home, and how they got there.

We are pleased to announced that Global Entrepreneurship Week has partnered with Webjam to develop the new Unleashing Ideas website.

The man who pioneered the vision of selling made-to-order personal computers directly to customers knows a thing or two about being an entrepreneur. Michael Dell, who launched the predecessor to Dell Computer Corporation while a college student in 1984, is part of a series of commercials promoting entrepreneurship thanks to Endeavor Brazil.

"At 19 I was frustrated as a customer with the way computers were sold and serviced. So I launched a business that built computers and sold them directly to customers. It worked out pretty well. Success isn’t about just having an idea. It’s about making it happen."

Michael Dell, founder of Dell computers, during an ad for Global Entrepreneurship Week in Brazil

Peter Jones, serial entrepreneur and star of the hit UK show Dragon’s Den, recently shared his thoughts on being a successful entrepreneur.

Oh yeah, he also said:  "This year’s Global Entrepreneurship Week will be one to remember."

I do like the sound of that.