Students as partners in university innovation and entrepreneurship

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Randolph Hall

PurposeStudents are an essential part of university innovation. Through their training, research and energy, students acquire and transfer knowledge to industry, and they help establish new businesses and start-up companies. This paper investigates how universities might capture the entrepreneurial energies of students toward the goal of university improvement and transformation while also educating students to pursue their aspirations to create new businesses.Design/methodology/approachA framework is presented for integrating “Students as Partners” (SaP) with entrepreneurship training to achieve “inside innovation,” meaning innovation to advance the practices of the university. Students participating in Blackstone Launchpad at three American universities were surveyed as to how they perceive innovation culture and support at their universities.FindingsCommon services (help with business plans, market assessment and entrepreneurial training) had the biggest positive effect on satisfaction with university support. Nevertheless, many students had sought to apply their innovations inside their university and, in so doing, found navigating bureaucracy and knowing “whom to talk to” to be the biggest obstacles. Respondents were least likely to agree with the statement that their institution was willing to accept risks.Research limitations/implicationsSurvey included three universities. A larger sample would be useful for a broader assessment.Practical implicationsPartnered services, technology entrepreneurship, system add-ons and immersion are proposed as four strategies to overcome obstacles to make universities more innovative in their practices.Social implicationsThe paper proposes a culture change toward engaging student entrepreneurs in innovation within universities to improve higher education practices.Originality/valueA framework for how higher education leaders might use the SaP model to capture entrepreneurial energies of students for university improvement and transformation.

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 889-902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sefika Mertkan ◽  
Ilkay Gilanlioglu ◽  
Simon McGrath

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the complexity of developing into an international institution from the perspective of higher education leaders through the case study of one institution engaged in institutional transformation. Design/methodology/approach This study employs the qualitative approach and involves in-depth interviews with key institutional managers. Findings Findings suggest internationalization is a dynamic change process that goes beyond the rational and predictive elements of internationalization and cannot be confined to the rational planning and grand plans solely at institutional level. Reciprocal influence of different levels of analysis – institution, society and the nation – needs to be acknowledged and internationalization efforts need to go beyond the confines of the institution and extend into the society and the nation as a whole. Originality/value Internationalization of higher education has been widely examined, but the reciprocal influence of different levels of analysis on the internationalization efforts of higher education institutions is thin to which this paper contributes.


Author(s):  
Anca-Olga Andronic ◽  
Razvan-Lucian Andronic ◽  
Gica Cruceru

The objective of the paper is to present how experts from Spiru Haret University have been involved in the development and implementation of a project aimed at the start-up development in the Central region of Romania, This project runs within one of the first European funded programs where universities are eligible. The project ran through the first stage of entrepreneurship training by September 2018, where 371 members of the target group (of the 403 selected) completed an entrepreneurial training course, supported by academic staff. Subsequently, a business plan competition was organized in two sessions (in November and December 2018), following which 38 business plans were selected, the ones selected attended training in the same industry they intend to develop their business. By July 2020, the 38 selected entrepreneurs will benefit from counseling and mentoring services, along with the monitoring of the business plan.


2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo Blanco-Ramírez ◽  
Joseph B. Berger

Purpose – This paper seeks to analyze the internationalization of quality practices in higher education. In light of insufficient theorization about quality in the global dimension, the paper presents a model for value construction in higher education. Design/methodology/approach – The authors reviewed different models for quality in higher education vis-à-vis emerging international quality practices in higher education. Findings – After reviewing quality models and international quality practices, the authors argue that, in order to evaluate and improve quality in higher education, a model of value in higher education that connects quality with relevance, access, and investment is necessary. Research limitations/implications – Thus far, quality in higher education has been explored in isolation from access, relevance, and investment. The integrative approach suggested here may prove generative for researchers and help address complex educational interrogations. Practical implications – Higher education leaders are faced with decisions about quality; these leaders may benefit from connecting quality decisions with the demands on relevance, access, and investment that their local settings dictate. Originality/value – The concept of value is largely absent from conceptual discussions about quality in higher education; additionally, many discussions about quality in higher education seem to be isolated from their context. This paper addresses both these issues.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Shatomi Luster-Edward ◽  
Barbara N. Martin

This paper investigated diversity disparity in high education relating to faculty and the student body. The research identified the perceived leadership behaviors, policies, and procedures determined by minority faculty and students contributing to minority populations disparities within the University. The conclusions suggested higher education leaders should embrace and encourage differences and implement strategies that will adequately support inclusive policies within the higher education system to increase the organizational value of diversity through equitable populations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Nguyen Duc Hanh ◽  
Pham Van Thuan ◽  
Vu Quynh Loan

Studies here are the to determine effects of the quality accreditation to a training program on aim, teaching method, test and assessment methods and content, outcomes to students. Consider the fields and the professions, skills and attitudes that the curriculum must address to support graduate outcomes for students. Analyze the challenges for higher education leaders to appropriate industry requirements and the effects on faculty perceptions and capacity to design a transformative educational program for students. Comparing the difference between a curriculum only has concentrated on meeting requirements and follows quality accreditation standards with a curriculum focus to experiment for students. A case study for universities in Australia and Vietnam have been considered, compared and recommended.


2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mário Franco ◽  
Heiko Haase

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine various aspects related to inter-organizational cooperation and how this phenomenon can be applied to healthcare institutions. Design/methodology/approach – To fulfil the aim, a qualitative investigation was adopted, focussing on the relationship between public hospital and a higher education institution in Portugal. Practical implications – The study supports health managers and higher education leaders, and other stakeholders involved inter-organizational cooperation drawing up strategies and understanding inter-organizational cooperation’s impact at the regional level. Originality/value – One contribution is to help fill a gap regarding the empirical research surrounding cooperation between organizations, especially in the health sector, where scientific studies are scarce. It also provides new insights by applying competence-based theory to analyze different approaches to hospital cooperation, which has received scant attention in the health sector.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Darwin

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges and obstacles encountered in the implementation of a mentoring program for Master of Business Administration (MBA) students at the University of South Australia (UniSA) Business School. The paper starts with an exploration into the need for a mentoring program, the trial and subsequent four years of implementation. The paper also explores the network model of mentoring and the reasons why this, rather than a more traditional model, was chosen for the program’s implementation. Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory case study uses data from over 600 students and their alumni mentors over a five-year period to evaluate and improve the program as well as cultivating a critical community of adult learners. Findings – Feedback from students indicates that the mentoring program is regarded by most as a value-added feature of their early learning as it offers support, if and when it is required, from those who have been there before. Research limitations/implications – Results are limited to one institution. However, as research into mentoring for higher education students is thin on the ground, this study contributes to our understanding of the positive impacts of mentoring on student success. Practical implications – This paper emphasizes the importance of business leaders giving back to their alma mater through mentoring current MBA students. It shows how mentoring can support learning and management development. Originality/value – This is an original study which explores ways to increase the learning of higher education students for positive social outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 269
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Vlachopoulos

This study investigated perceptions of organizational change management among executive coaches working with British higher-education leaders and factors that make leaders effective when managing change. This basic qualitative research used semi-structured interviews with eight executive coaches selected through purposeful sampling. As main challenges to efficient, inclusive change management, participants mentioned leaders’ lack of a strategic vision or plan, lack of leadership and future leader development programs, and lack of clarity in decision-making. They recognized that leaders’ academic and professional profiles are positively viewed and said that, with coaching and support in leadership and strategic planning, these people can inspire the academic community and promote positive change. Additional emphasis was given to the role of coaching in the development of key soft skills (honesty, responsibility, resiliency, creativity, proactivity, and empathy, among others), which are necessary for effective change management and leadership in higher education. The paper’s implications have two aspects. First, the lessons of the actual explicit content of the coaches’ observations (challenges to efficient change management and views of leaders); second, the implications of these observations (how coaching can help and what leaders need).


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7373
Author(s):  
Timo Nevalainen ◽  
Jaana Seikkula-Leino ◽  
Maria Salomaa

In the past decades, there has been a growing interest in entrepreneurship education, and many higher education institutions have developed specific programs and courses to support entrepreneurial competencies. However, there have been significant changes in how universities train competences related to business skills and entrepreneurship in practice. Whereas entrepreneurship courses used to focus on the different forms of businesses and drafting business plans, the overall perception of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial competences has shifted this toward a more holistic educational approach to develop students’ entrepreneurial competencies. In this comparative quantitative case study, we investigate the university students’ perception of the development of their entrepreneurial competencies in the case of Proakatemia (Tampere University of Applied Sciences). The aim was to examine how the entrepreneurial competencies are reflected and strengthened in their thinking and everyday functions through the concept of team learning. The survey involved, altogether, 64 students, of which 21 studied in Proakatemia. The results of this study indicate that the team learning concept of Proakatemia facilitates learning entrepreneurial competencies. Therefore, these results provide insights for universities aiming to develop their curricula, programs and pedagogy, thus promoting sustainable societal development. However, we recommend further studies, e.g., from a qualitative point of view, to assess the effective of the concept in other learning environments.


2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leanne Bilodeau ◽  
Jackie Podger ◽  
Alaa Abd-El-Aziz

Purpose – Universities can provide a leadership role to develop and mobilize knowledge to meet societal needs. In fulfilling this mission, universities can also serve as agents of sustainable development on campus and in communities they serve. The purpose of this article is to describe the drivers that have advanced the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus' operational and academic sustainability objectives; the initiatives and partnerships developed on campus and in the community in response to these drivers; and the outcomes and lessons learned. Design/methodology/approach – This article summarizes the experience of the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus in leveraging key drivers to develop sustainability initiatives and partnerships for greater operational efficiencies, cost savings, environmental stewardship and applied research. The university's leadership commitment to sustainability, economic opportunities and provincial legislative requirements are among the drivers discussed. This paper also provides an innovative partnership framework to support sustainable community development. Findings – Drivers of sustainability in higher education can contribute to the development of sustainability initiatives and partnerships that benefit institutions and communities and achieve operational and academic sustainability mandates. Practical implications – This article provides information that can be applied by institutions of higher education to advance sustainability within the context of current economic conditions and societal needs. Originality/value – The experience of the campus and the partnership framework presented in this paper is original. The framework provides a mechanism to engage students, faculty and the community in sustainable community development research. Key insights from multiple perspectives and lessons learned are shared.


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