Entrepreneurship Education and the Strategic Perspective

With emerging examples and offerings dating back to the mid-20th century, Entrepreneurship Education (EE) is now an omnipresent feature within universities today. Whether represented within a dedicated programme, offered within thematic business-facing workshops, or as a systematic route towards enhanced and consistent business and community engagement, EE can be regarded as a key element within Higher Education Institution (HEI) operations and feature of an institution’s identity.

However, along with the many approaches and applications of EE within the classroom environment encouraging skills or new venture development, it is of course subject to pedagogical, resource, and infrastructural changes as the HE sector moves with surrounding market trends and needs of industry. Recent developments within the United Kingdom (UK), directly or indirectly affecting the HE sector, including post-Brexit and post-pandemic challenges, student population shortfalls, and the advent of AI have all disrupted both the capacity and capability for universities to operate effectively and efficiently. This, arguably, necessitates the continued offering and developing of EE as a form of education cognisant of the wider regional community need. Additionally, EE presents the opportunity for business, sectors, and stakeholders, sharing objectives and visions with that of the university, to engage and achieve towards the national interest.

In light of recent crises, and ongoing volatility within the sector in the UK, this working paper discusses the increasing intersection of EE and institutional strategy, and the mobilising of EE approaches and activities which subsequently define the 21st century university. Following from this, an inductive multistakeholder approach is presented, forming a research agenda which confronts and compares the current strategies and suggestions from UK HEIs. This concerns a series of factors, including: institutional infrastructure and responsibilities; alignment to relevant EE-related policy; pedagogical approaches; engagement activities; and the building of entrepreneurial legacies which impact regional and national landscapes.

This working paper outlines a prescribed, phased methodology, which shall be of benefit to a range of stakeholders, chiefly within the HE sector and amongst EE educators and researchers. Furthermore, it shall establish present day resource challenges, sector complexities, and reflect on a number of perspectives from students to practitioners.