The strategic ambitions of universities around the world

Since the 1990s, public policy goals have explicitly advocated that universities should become more entrepreneurial. Across the globe many universities have adopted strategic ambitions that aim to incorporate more entrepreneurial approaches into teaching, research, innovation, organisational transformation and university-business collaborations. The Entrepreneurial Mindset Network has used its  proven expertise to enable numerous universities to achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions. The Network is led by Paul Coyle, an expert in the entrepreneurial mindset, leadership and organisational transformation.

Resources that support university development

Since the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network was established in 2017, it has created numerous resources that are designed to support the practical application of the entrepreneurial mindset in higher education and enhance the quality of teaching, research and leadership. The Network provides range of free resources that disseminate insights and practical advice from its international network of higher education professionals. The Network's paid services add significant value and a substantial return on investment by delivering professional development and supporting organisational change.

Followers of the Network’s company page on LinkedIn come from 102 countries.

Services that deliver competitive advantages

The information on this website is designed for use by educators, researchers, higher education leaders, L&D and organisation development professionals. Use the free resources on the website to help you to make use of the entrepreneurial mindset to enhance teaching, research, leadership, organisational change and the provision of high quality support for  stakeholders. Request our paid services to accelerate professional learning, leadership development, organisational transformation and apply for E-STAR university accreditation. Discuss your exact requirements with Paul Coyle, the Director of the Network, by sending an email or booking a Zoom call.

Embedding the entrepreneurial mindset in all subject disciplines

The study of entrepreneurial ways of thinking and acting should not be confined to the business school. Students of any academic discipline can benefit from using the entrepreneurial mindset in their studies and in their career plans, whether for entrepreneurship or employment. The Network offers educators expert advice to help them to integrate the entrepreneurial mindset into curriculum design, teaching and assessment. The Network also enables an educator to develop their own entrepreneurial mindset through the use of a free MBA tool for educators.

Creating evidence of student progression and achievement

Use our free Mindset Behaviour Analysis tool for students of any academic discipline.  Use our Value Added Report service which provides you with evidence of the change in your students’ entrepreneurial behaviours as a result of your workshops, projects and modules. Ask us to deliver one of our highly-rated, interactive mindset workshops for students, online or in person. Workshops are inclusive, engaging, and impactful, and content is tailored to the specific learning needs of students, based on their level of study and academic discipline.

Supporting the professional development of educators

Find inspiration for your teaching in the articles in our EXPRESS eZINE and in the summaries of our educational webinars. Use our free MBA tool for educators to understand, strengthen and apply your own entrepreneurial mindset. Become an entrepreneurial role model for your students.  The tool introduces the concept of the entrepreneurial mindset and helps you to understand the practical use of this mindset in curriculum design, teaching and assessment. Enhance your ongoing development as a higher education professional with our coaching services.

Using the entrepreneurial mindset to enhance research

There is increasing international interest in the use of the entrepreneurial mindset to enhance the formulation, conduct, dissemination and impact of research. This application of the mindset is relevant to research in all subject disciplines, not just to the investigation of business and entrepreneurship. All research plays a vital role in the creation of new knowledge. Stakeholders are looking to universities to demonstrate how the new knowledge that they generate can create greater impact and generate economic, social and cultural benefits.

Supporting PhD students and their career ambitions

Use our free Mindset Behaviour Analysis tool for PhD students of any academic discipline.  The MBA tool introduces PhD students to the concept of the entrepreneurial mindset, helps them to consider how to use this mindset during their PhD studies and in their career plans for future employment or entrepreneurship. Ask us to deliver one of our highly-rated, interactive mindset workshops for PhD students, online or in person. Workshop topics include the use of the entrepreneurial mindset in academic research, impact, commercialisation and career planning.

The professional development of PhD supervisors

Understand and apply the entrepreneurial mindset in your research, supervision of research students, innovation and university-business collaboration by using our free Mindset Behaviour Analysis tool for PhD supervisors. Become an entrepreneurial role model for your PhD students and your colleagues. Consider applying to join our SHINE research project which is investigating how can Higher Education scale up existing entrepreneurial and innovation capacity for the benefit of greater numbers of students and societal stakeholders.  

The entrepreneurial mindset and higher education leadership

If students are going to develop an entrepreneurial mindset then educators themselves must have this same mindset. In turn, academic leaders must be able to inspire educators to use the entrepreneurial mindset in their teaching and research.  The mindset is also of value to leaders of professional services within universities, including learning resources, careers, research and knowledge exchange. All  leaders in higher education can use the mindset to build an organisational culture that becomes fit-for-purpose, delivers excellent performance and secures long-term financial sustainability.

Supporting leaders of academics and professional services 

Use our free Mindset Behaviour Analysis for education leaders. It will help you to understand the concept of the entrepreneurial mindset and how you can apply it to enhance your leadership. The Network also provides a highly-rated masterclass on the entrepreneurial mindset and leadership in higher education. The masterclass provides an active learning experience for senior leaders of academics and the staff of the professional services. The masterclass includes the presentation of international examples of the application of the entrepreneurial mindset in higher education. 

Leadership development and organisational transformation 

Are you a senior leader who wants to develop their team or a L&D professional responsible for enhancing skills throughout the organisation? Ask us to deliver our highly-rated leadership masterclass.  Topics include innovation, leadership, change management, productivity and quality enhancement. Delivery is inclusive, engaging and impactful. Content is always tailored to the organisation's strategic goals and the participants' job functions, including academics and professional support staff, new managers and experienced leaders. Previous clients have included universities in Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom. 

The journey towards the entrepreneurial university

For a university to achieve its strategic ambitions with regard to integrating entrepreneurial approaches into teaching and research there needs to be change in the organisational culture.  This takes time and requires high quality leadership and the engagement of all employees. The Entrepreneurial Mindset Network has expertise that enables a university to go on this entrepreneurial journey and to transform its organisational culture. The Network’s E-STAR quality standards are designed to help a university to showcase how it creates value for students, business and society by means of the entrepreneurial mindset.

Showcasing success to an international audience

The E-STAR quality standards can be used by an HEI to self-assess its performance as an entrepreneurial organisation.  In summary, E-STAR consists of 4 quality standards for the application of Entrepreneurial mindset in higher education: Student education and career planning, Transfer of knowledge to business, Academic innovation and development, and Regional impact (economic, social & cultural). E-STAR quality standards have been designed to embrace the rich diversity of universities across the world, acknowledging and respecting their distinctive locations, missions, stakeholders, cultures, resources and national regulatory systems.

Maximising the competitive advantage in higher education

A university has the option to invest in a peer review, organised by the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network using the E-STAR quality standards, which will generate feedback from a panel of international higher education experts. Finally, if an HEI satisfies the quality standards during the peer review, it will be eligible for E-STAR accreditation. This prestigious award offers a competitive advantage by showcasing the university's entrepreneurial achievements to the international higher education community. The first university in the world to achieve E-STAR Accreditation was the Management and Science University in April 2023.