Entrepreneurial Education Strengthening Resilience, Societal Change and Sustainability
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2021) | Viewed by 47390
Special Issue Editors
2. Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
3. University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland
Interests: entrepreneurship education; entrepreneurial organization and society; teacher education; future competencies; pedagogy; curriculum; strategy; impact
Interests: enterprise education; entrepreneurship education; entrepreneurial society
Interests: child development; early childhood education; entrepreneurship education; early childhood teacher education; innovative and entrepreneurial society
2. Lincoln International Business School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Way, Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK
Interests: higher education systems; regional development; university third mission; entrepreneurial university
Special Issue Information
Dear colleagues,
Universities’ emerging entrepreneurial and societal missions and their increasingly emphasised role in national and regional innovation systems have drawn many scholars’ attention (e.g., Benneworth et al., 2016; Goddard and Vallance, 2013). In parallel, both higher education and regional policies have emphasised universities’ role in the development of the knowledge economy (Göransson et al., 2009), which increases expectations towards higher education institutions, but also future graduates. Thus, the university’s societal role extends beyond the traditional academic core missions of education and research. It is often associated with a range of different kinds of engagement and knowledge transfer activities with external stakeholders, such as businesses, public actors and NGOs (e.g., Laredo, 2007). However, the capability to balance between the expectations emerging from both regional stakeholders and higher education systems (Charles et al., 2014; Salomaa and Charles, 2019) requires reinforcing their strategic organisational capacity, systematic development of bridging mechanisms and entrepreneurial skills within higher education institutions as well as individual capacities of both staff and students to adapt and thrive in ever changing circumstances.
Furthermore, it is evident that environmental, societal and economic problems challenge all human activities. Global crises, such as pandemics, immigration and climate change, are exacerbating the situation. What is the readiness level of the people and societies to respond to these changes, though? How could it be strengthened? These issues are discussed in the context of entrepreneurial education; as many scholars agree (Frank 2007; Berglund and Johansson 2007; Gibb 2006; Halberstadt et al., 2019; Steyaert and Katz 2004; Seikkula-Leino et al. 2015), entrepreneurial activity means, among other things, the ability to solve problems, seek and create new opportunities, utilize creativity, try new things, work together and innovate. It increases social–cultural, economic and environmental resilience. As a consequence, it can help to promote actions that have a positive impact on the society.
In this Special Issue, we provide an overview of how entrepreneurial education and training can strengthen the activities that promote social resilience in higher education institutions/systems. We are also looking for new openings on how entrepreneurial activity can create a basis for strengthening societies' capacity to respond better to current and emerging challenges. Furthermore, we aim to raise a discussion on entrepreneurial education as a driver of societal change and sustainability. In particular, the importance of entrepreneurial and entrepreneurship education and training is emphasised: Traditional academic education needs to be critically re-assessed to learn what kind of competencies we need to promote to foster the resilience of societies. What are the skills and competencies needed in the future working life? How do education and learning need to be reshaped in order to respond to these needs? What are our key methods and tools? Can we create unpredictable solutions to strengthen resilience with new technologies? How does entrepreneurial education relate to all this? On the other hand, we may look at how sustainable development of entrepreneurial education promotes resilience and societal change.
To address the challenges described above, the Special Issue will focus on the following topics:
- How could we reshape traditional education by integrating entrepreneurial and entrepreneurship education to drive societal change?
- How could we address entrepreneurial methods and educational tools, including new technology, in education to promote resilience?
- How could entrepreneurial education and learning change the role of an educator?
- How do sociocultural end ecological innovations and solutions relate to entrepreneurial activity and sustainability?
- What are our challenges in entrepreneurial education and learning? How could we create solutions for these obstacles? How could we develop and implement sustainable entrepreneurial education? Policy recommendations as well as suggestions for curriculum design and educational programs are welcome.
- What are the needed future competencies? Are today’s education models sustainable in terms of future needs? Does the shift from more discipline orientated education address the needed competencies and skills in working life?
- How do entrepreneurial thinking and actions enable resilience at the individual and societal levels?
- How do entrepreneurial activities, resilience, social impact, and sustainability relate to each other?
Both conceptual and empirical papers in the field are welcome. Furthermore, explorative studies with policy implications are valued. Potential contributors are welcome to contact the Guest Editor to discuss potential submissions before 30 November 2020. The submission deadline is 28 February 2021.
References:
Berglund, K., & Johansson, A.W. (2007). Entrepreneurship, Discourses and Conscientization in Processes of Regional Development. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 19 (6), 499–525.
Benneworth, P., Pinheiro, R. and Sánchez-Barrioluengo, M. (2016). Strategic agency and institutional change: investigating the role of universities in regional innovation systems (RISs), Regional Studies, Vol. 51, Issue 2, pp. 235–429.
Charles, D., Kitagawa, F. and Uyarra, E. (2014). University in Crisis? - new challenges and strategies in two English city-regions, Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, pp. 327–348.
Frank, A. I. (2007). Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Skills: A Missing Element of Planning. Education. Planning, Practice & Research, 22(4), 635-648.
Gibb, A. (2006). Entrepreneurship/Enterprise Education in Schools and Colleges: Are we really building the onion or peeling it away? Paper presented in National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship, working paper 039/2006. Retrieved on from: http://ncge.com/communities/research/reference/detail/880/7.
Goddard, J. and Vallance, P. (2013). The University and the City, London: Routledge.
Göransson, B., Maharajh, R. & Schmoch, U. (2009). New activities of universities in transfer and extension: multiple requirements and manifold solutions, Science and Public Policy, 36(2), pp. 157–164.
Halberstadt, J., Schank, C., Euler, M, & R. Harms. 2019. Learning Sustainability Entrepreneurship by Doing: Providing a Lecturer-Oriented Service Learning Framework. Sustainability, 11(5), 1217. Retrieved on from https://doi.org/10.3390/su11051217
Laredo, P. (2007). Revisiting the Third Mission of Universities: Toward a Renewed Categorization of University Activities?, Higher Education Policy, Volume 20, Issue 4.
Salomaa, M. & Charles, D. (2019). The university third mission and the European Structural Funds in peripheral regions: Insights from Finland. RUNIN Working Paper series 07/2019. https://ris.utwente.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/138694426/07.2019_Salomaa_Charles.pdf
Seikkula-Leino, J. Satuvuori T., Ruskovaara, E. & H. Hannula. 2015. How do Finnish teacher educators implement entrepreneurship education? Education + Training, vol 57, no 4, 392 – 404.
Steyaert, C., & Katz, J. (2004). Reclaiming the space of entrepreneurship in society: Geographical, discursive and social dimensions. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 16, 179-196.
Assoc. Prof. Jaana Seikkula-Leino
Prof. Dr. Mats Westerberg
Dr. Priti Verma
Dr. Maria Salomaa
Guest Editors
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