Emerging trends in entrepreneurial universities within Mediterranean regions: An international comparison
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to investigate the new role that universities are assuming as entrepreneurial entities supporting the development of regional innovation systems through an international comparison, in order to address the demand for global competitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to compare how some universities of the Mediterranean area and of South-East Asia conceive and implement an entrepreneurial culture through their curricula, conducting a two-way comparison between Italy and Singapore.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology consists of a multi-method approach, based on a comparative analysis which involves the use of a narrative style and a content analysis carried out on the Italian and Singaporean entrepreneurship programmes. The method consists of comparing different systems with similar characteristics, with an analysis focused on particularly relevant environmental factors, to find an explanation about how an innovative way of teaching entrepreneurship to students can affect the development of regional innovative systems.
Findings
The study analyses the Italian and Singaporean environmental factors that are helpful in understanding the basis for the promotion of an entrepreneurial attitude, and the end result of the paper is to set out the differences in the evolvement of entrepreneurial universities and innovative teaching programmes between the two countries being analysed. The research uses an international comparison to investigate the relationships between a set of variables that influence government authorities, leading them to invest in programmes on entrepreneurship.
Originality/value
Studying the Singaporean experience, one of the leading Nation investor in entrepreneurial education, is useful in highlighting limits of less advanced higher education systems and in helping them to encourage an entrepreneurial culture.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper is the result of a group effort of analysis and reflection. Rosa Lombardi authored “The role of entrepreneurship within the Italian higher education system” and “Entrepreneurial universities in Singapore”; Alessandra Lardo authored “Introduction” and “The entrepreneurial education in the regional innovation system”; Benedetta Cuozzo authored “Methodology” and “Environmental factors analysis”; Raffaele Trequattrini authored “A two-way comparison” and “Conclusions”.
Citation
Lombardi, R., Lardo, A., Cuozzo, B. and Trequattrini, R. (2017), "Emerging trends in entrepreneurial universities within Mediterranean regions: An international comparison", EuroMed Journal of Business, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 130-145. https://doi.org/10.1108/EMJB-10-2015-0052
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited