This Short Course delivers inspiration and detailed understandings of the innovation process to those engaged in creating innovative new businesses and solutions in rural areas in Europe. Developed from HLB’s BA course in Innovative Rural Development, the course delivers key parts of the BA module to participants, in English or Czech. In this course, students gain understandings in both the personal and social processes which underpin innovation and development, and in the development process itself – knowledge directly relevant to the creation of their own innovative rural futures.

Topics include:

What is Innovation?; Innovation, Authenticity and Quality; Creativity and Courage; Self-Efficacy; Lateral Thinking; Cultural Landscapes and Development; Private Goods – Public Goods; Culture Economies; Asset-based Community Rural Development; and inspiring examples of Community Rural Development from around the world.

The course covers four 7-hour days of teaching, with a collective meal (arranged by hosts) at the end of the first day to encourage social interaction and networking amongst the participants. It is delivered by two teachers who have been specially prepared for this course. A set of course readings is provided to all participants.

The Project in the Czech Republic will deliver two versions of the course. The first one will be primarily delivered by Dr Rhys Evans, from the Norwegian Partner, with assistance from Czech project partners. The second version will be primarily delivered by the Czech partners with assistance from Dr Evans. In this way, at the end of the project, the Czech partners will have possession of a uniquely Czech version of the course which they can continue to deliver in subsequent years.

HLB is a Norwegian University College which specializes in rural development research and teaching, creating knowledge for rural development, not of it. Our motto is “Kunnskap for utvikling”, or ‘knowledge for vital rural communities’, and our research and teaching supports this orientation. HLB has delivered versions of this course across a number of regions in Norway. Participants have included community development project leaders, local government development officers and rural entrepreneurs. All have reported the course to be inspiring and useful in their pursuit of their own innovative undertakings.