Minor in Social Technopreneurship

Social entrepreneurship involves identifying and implementing business solutions focused on addressing problems and issues in communities and society. On the other hand, technopreneurship merges entrepreneurial principles and technological prowess in the development of novel products, services, and processes that aim to disrupt existing economic environments. Combining these two disciplines, the Social Technopreneurship minor program goes beyond traditional entrepreneurship and technology use, aligning with the Lasallian Mission of helping the last, the lost, and the least by taking advantage of technologies that can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This program targets students who want to conceptualize & develop technological innovations intended to take advantage of entrepreneurial gains for social change.

Program Outcomes

By the end of the program, learners will be able to:

  • Understand the business and social perspectives of entrepreneurial concepts and strategies
  • Conceptualize, design, and present an ICT solution that addresses societal problems
  • Identify and analyze factors that can affect the adoption of the proposed technology solution
  • Develop a plan of action for the successful management and implementation of the social enterprise and technology innovation

Course List

ICT for Development/Governance (ISICT4D) 3 units
Design Thinking (ISDESTH) 3 units
Planning for Lean Tech Startup (ITSTART) 3 units
Emerging Technologies (ITEMTEC) 3 units

Course Details

ICT for Development & Governance (ISICT4D)
This course will introduce students to the concepts in social development and its applicability to the Philippine and global context. Discussions and learning activities will center on relevant social issues and how the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in brings about social change and development. The course highlights how ICTs can contribute to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while also considering how such technology solutions can be appropriately managed and governed.

By the end of the course, learners should be able to:

  • Recognize different ICT and technology solutions that address socially relevant issues in various sectors and industries
  • Recommend a viable ICT solution as a service that can help social development growth in the country
  • Identify challenges and issues in the use of ICT for social development and governance and propose appropriate management and governance solutions on how these issues can be addressed

Design Thinking (ISDESTH)
This course involves the development of skills in innovative thinking and strategic problem solving with the goal of addressing customer needs. With regard to creating ICT solutions, such as business applications and information systems, this design thinking course provides a systematic approach to new product development, covering human-centered processes of ideation, prototyping, and testing. Additionally, contemporary tools and methods that are used in design thinking will also be tackled.

By the end of the course, learners should be able to:

  • Understand the design thinking framework and its principles
  • Apply the design thinking framework, processes, techniques, and strategies in identifying problems and understanding customer/user requirements
  • Apply the design thinking framework, processes, techniques, and strategies in crafting innovative ICT solutions for identified problems and customer/user requirements
  • Develop, present, and test a prototype of the proposed ICT solution

Planning for Lean Tech Startup (ITSTART)
This course covers entrepreneurship in technology ventures, and takes the student through the commercialization of technology ideas into viable enterprises.  The course examines how technology ideas may be quickly developed into opportunities and eventually into viable businesses. Furthermore, the course takes the students through the process of crafting the business model canvas for a proposed innovation, applying lean startup principles, processes, and techniques.

By the end of the course, learners should be able to:

  • Recognize the importance of entrepreneurial process, skills, and attitudes in the commercialization of technology
  • Analyze and identify business and market opportunities using knowledge of ICT vis-à-vis entrepreneurial skills
  • Critically assess business ideas
  • Develop and present a business plan for disruptive innovations and ICT using lean startup methods

Emerging Technologies (ITEMTEC)
This course provides an in-depth exploration of emerging technologies and trends and their historical backgrounds. The current and future impacts of these technologies on various organizations, industries, and sectors will be examined in order to determine whether they are viable for adoption. Moreover, different perspectives, including economic, social, and cultural ones, will be used to analyze the effects of new innovations in the Philippine context and around the world.

By the end of the course, learners should be able to:

  • Be familiar with the historical and new emerging technology trends in various industries
  • Determine the advantages and disadvantages of adopting emerging technologies in a particular organization/industry
  • Recognize the current and potential impact of technologies on economic, social, and cultural landscapes, on a local and global scale

Schedule of Course Offerings

Term 1

  • ICT for Development
  • Emerging Technologies*

Term 2

  • Design Thinking

Term 3

  • Planning for Lean Tech Startup
  • Emerging Technologies

*Emerging Technologies can either be taken on Term 1 or Term 3.