Entrepreneurship in Higher Education from a Futures Studies Perspective
Keywords:
Entrepreneurial university, Entrepreneurship, Futures studies, Higher education, Scenario planningAbstract
Purpose: This study aims to explain entrepreneurship in higher education from a futures studies perspective by identifying key drivers, strategic uncertainties, and possible future scenarios in the transformation of universities into entrepreneurial universities.
Methods and Materials: The present study is qualitative and futures-oriented. The research was conducted using environmental scanning, expert interviews, qualitative Delphi, MICMAC structural analysis, and scenario planning.
Findings: The results indicate that entrepreneurship in higher education is not merely a managerial strategy; rather, it represents an institutional transformation within universities that is closely linked to the knowledge-based economy, innovation development, and university–industry interaction. The most important drivers of this transformation include government support policies, digital transformation, university innovation ecosystems, and entrepreneurship education. In addition, the level of government support, the pace of digital transformation, and the degree of university–industry interaction were identified as strategic uncertainties. Based on these factors, three future scenarios were developed: the Leading Entrepreneurial University, the Adaptive University, and the Traditional University.
Conclusion: The findings show that the future of entrepreneurship in higher education depends on the complex interaction between policymaking, technology, organizational culture, and innovation networks. Achieving the entrepreneurial university requires strengthening innovation infrastructures, fostering an entrepreneurial culture, and expanding university–industry collaboration.
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