Dr Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent and Dr Dolors Gil Domènech, both lecturers from the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences at UIC Barcelona recently edited a book entitled B-SMART. Connecting University & Business, a publication that presents a summary of the main results of B-SMART, a teaching innovation project the main objective of which is to connect students with real business projects through challenge-based learning.

The publication presents practical examples of how to include challenges in subjects from various disciplines based on the design thinking methodology and presents experiences resulting from the project from the point of view of all stakeholders: companies, teachers and students. Five degree programmes in the field of business participated and sixteen business challenges were set in nine different subjects for this project.

At the book presentation, Dolors Gil-Doménech underlined the main objective of the project: “We wanted to create a cooperative environment and strengthen the business-university relationship based on our teaching mission.” In fact, the director of Saó Prat, Maria Carmen Olaya, the director of Marketing at ADER, Joan Lluís Rubio, and the dean of the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences at UIC Barcelona, Marta Mas, also participated in the presentation. Lecturer from the Faculty Nina Magomedova and Lluis Romans and Eva Sala, students from our Bachelor’s Degree in Administration and Management, who offered their experiences as agents directly involved in the whole process, also took part. 

Elena Santa María, Head of the UIC Barcelona Teaching Innovation Classroom, and Xavier Puig i Mercedes Navarro, President and Director of the Puig Foundation, respectively, also attended the event. The publication of this book was made possible through funding from the UIC Barcelona Teaching Innovation Classroom via the Puig Foundation, and the cooperation of several professors and lecturers from UIC Barcelona, as well as twelve companies from different sectors.