Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship

2026/2027

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

6

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Department of Sociology

Course type:

Compulsory course

When:

1 year, 1, 2 module

Instructors

Воронина Екатерина Борисовна

Gaete Sepulveda, Magdalena A.

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This introductory course examines social entrepreneurship as an entrepreneurial and organizational response to persistent social and environmental problems. It develops a critical understanding of social entrepreneurship, social enterprise, social innovation, social value, hybridity, and social impact, and distinguishes these concepts from conventional entrepreneurship, philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, nonprofit activity, activism, and public-sector intervention. The course follows a human-centered and dignity-oriented approach. Students analyze affected persons and communities as agents and stakeholders rather than passive beneficiaries. They assess the institutional and legal context of social entrepreneurship in Russia and selected international settings; examine social business models, funding strategies, ecosystems, governance, and scaling; and learn the foundations of the Theory of Change and social impact measurement. Particular attention is paid to risks such as paternalism, exclusion, mission drift, impact washing, data misuse, and the instrumentalization of vulnerable groups.

Learning Objectives

• Establish a precise conceptual foundation for analyzing social entrepreneurship, social enterprise, social innovation, and social impact.
• Develop the ability to distinguish social entrepreneurship from adjacent organizational, commercial, civic, and public-policy practices.
• Introduce evidence-based and human-centered methods for identifying social problems, stakeholder needs, and entrepreneurial opportunities.
• Develop the ability to analyze hybrid business models, revenue and resource configurations, governance arrangements, and institutional environments.
• Introduce basic tools for constructing a Theory of Change and selecting proportionate output, outcome, and impact indicators.
• Cultivate ethically responsible judgment grounded in human dignity, participation, transparency, sustainability, and accountability.
• Prepare students for subsequent projects, innovation, impact measurement, consulting, internship, and thesis work in the master’s program.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Define and critically compare the principal concepts and schools of thought in social entrepreneurship and social innovation.
• Distinguish social enterprises from conventional businesses, nonprofit organizations, charitable initiatives, CSR programs, public projects, and informal civic initiatives using explicit criteria.
• Communicate an evidence-based diagnosis and transparently document sources, collaboration, and generative AI use.
• Frame a social or environmental problem using credible evidence, stakeholder perspectives, and a dignity-centered understanding of affected persons and communities.
• Analyze institutional, legal, cultural, and ecosystem conditions that enable or constrain social entrepreneurship in Russia and selected international contexts.
• Evaluate the coherence of mission, value proposition, business model, stakeholder configuration, governance, and risk.
• Construct an introductory Theory of Change and propose measurable output and outcome indicators while recognizing limitations.
• Identify ethical, legal, sustainability, and mission-drift risks and propose mitigation measures.

Course Contents

• Theme 1. The Field of Social Entrepreneurship: Concepts and Boundaries
• Theme 2. Historical Development and Major Schools of Thought
• Theme 3. Social Problems, Human Needs, and Dignity-Centered Problem Framing
• Theme 4. Institutional and Legal Contexts: Russia and Comparative Models
• Theme 5. Social Innovation, Value Creation, and Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition
• Theme 6. The Social Entrepreneur, Leadership, Ethics, and Positionality
• Theme 7. Stakeholders, Ecosystems, and Human-Centered Social Innovation
• Theme 8. Social Business Models, Organizational Forms, and Funding
• Theme 9. Theory of Change and the Foundations of Social Impact Measurement
• Theme 10. Scaling, Systems Change, and Integrative Social-Enterprise Diagnosis

Assessment Elements

• Seminar Participation
  Seminar participation is assessed cumulatively across 10 seminars. A student can receive a maximum of 1 point for each seminar, resulting in a maximum Seminar Participation Grade of 10 points for the course.
• Group Assignments
  Two assignments are completed by the project team. Each assignment is assessed on a 10-point scale, and the same grade is awarded to all members of the team. The Group Assignments component is calculated as the average of the two assignment grades.
• Final Project: Social Enterprise
  The final project is developed and presented by the team during Seminar 10. It is assessed on a 10-point scale. The team receives one project grade, and the same grade is awarded to all team members. The project should present an evidence-based concept for a social enterprise and demonstrate a coherent connection between the social problem, user needs, proposed solution, business model, ecosystem, intended social impact, scaling logic, and systems perspective.

Interim Assessment

• 2026/2027 2nd module
  Final Grade = Seminar Participation × 0.30 + Group Assignments* × 0.30 + Final Project × 0.40

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• David Bornstein, & Susan Davis. (2010). Social Entrepreneurship : What Everyone Needs to Know®. Oxford University Press.
• Обучение служением и социальная миссия университета. Внедрение практики и работа с социальными па... : метод. руководство для преподавателей, Гаете Сепульведа, М. А., 2025

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Bridging horizons. Exploring social entrepreneurship in Malaysia and Russia, , 2025

Authors

• Gaete Sepulveda Magdalena Alekhandra
• KUZINER EVGENIIA NIKOLAEVNA