BEYOND THE COMFORT ZONE: ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INTERNATIONALISATION, AND GROWTH THROUGH INVES

My name is Sandra Sánchez Cañizares. I am a professor in the Business Organisation department at the University of Córdoba, where I work in business management, entrepreneurship, and internationalisation. I also coordinate the Doctoral Programme in Social and Legal Sciences at UCO.

I started collaborating with INVEST from the very beginning. When the Vice-Rector for International Affairs told me about the alliance and its main themes, I joined the first steps and attended an early meeting in the Netherlands, just as UCO was about to enter as a partner. Since then, my involvement has gradually expanded. I currently coordinate the Joint Bachelor’s Degree in Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Societies at UCO, contribute to the INVEST Incubator, and collaborate in the research cluster on New Business Models and Smart Technologies of the INVEST Centre of Excellence.

I have always been interested in working internationally because I genuinely find multicultural environments enriching. Travelling, seeing how things are done elsewhere, and teaching or researching in different settings is one of the most effective ways to grow professionally. Cooperation with colleagues from different cultural contexts broadens your perspective and allows you to create experiences that are difficult to achieve if you never leave your comfort zone.

At the same time, internal collaboration is not without its challenges. Each university has its own legislation, rules, and internal procedures, and coordinating all of that takes time. Deadlines and timelines can differ significantly between countries, and people do not always approach time and planning in the same way. However, what has always been very clear within INVEST is the goodwill. You can see that people are genuinely committed and willing to put in the effort, and that makes a big difference.

One experience that really captures what INVEST feels like in practice for me was during a winter course at Karelia, Finland. One evening, students organised an “international night”, bringing food and drinks from their countries, with music and a very relaxed atmosphere. Students were experiencing internationalisation by living it, not just talking about it. In the end, they are the real protagonists, the ones who will shape the future.

Through INVEST, I have had the opportunity to travel to Nitra and Karelia on several occasions. It was always an enriching experience, and meeting colleagues in person changes the working relationship completely. You understand each other better, see how other universities operate, and bring ideas back home, especially for teaching. In my case, it has given me small practical ideas to adapt my teaching in order to try to introduce innovations in my methodologies that make it more attractive to students.

As part of INVEST, I have had to opportunity to share my expertise in entrepreneurship as a coach in the INVEST Incubator, and through the Centre of Excellence I delivered a webinar based on my latest research, explaining the statistical methodologies I apply. At UCO, where social sciences often have fewer international pathways, I help make INVEST tangible by sharing opportunities for students and colleagues and answering any questions through my coordination role. This has already led to student participation in courses in Finland, and we are working towards international co-supervision for doctoral candidates in Social and Legal Sciences.

If I had to summarise what INVEST has given me personally, I would say flexibility, adaptability and patience. I have learned that international projects often need to be built step by step, and even when that takes longer, the outcomes are stronger in the long run. And if someone is considering international work, my advice is simple: forget about your comfort zone - it is one of the best ways to grow, professionally and personally.