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 a 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.

Services that deliver competitive advantages

The information on this website is designed for use by educators, researchers, education leaders, and Learning & Development professionals. The free resources on the website support the use of the entrepreneurial mindset to enhance teaching, research, leadership, and organisational change.  Paid services are designed to accelerate professional learning, leadership development, and organisational transformation.  To discuss your exact requirements with Paul Coyle, the Director of the Network, send an email or book 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. If educators are going to ensure that students are able to behave entrepreneurially then educators themselves must pay attention to developing their own entrepreneurial mindset and applying that mindset in their teaching, research and engagement with business & society.

Creating evidence of student progression and achievement

We provide educators with a free Mindset Behaviour Analysis tool for students that they can use in a variety of teaching situations. The MBA tool introduces students from any academic discipline to the concept of the entrepreneurial mindset and its practical application in studying and career planning. The level of student satisfaction with the MBA tool is above 90% (using a standard GSAT calculation). Our Added Value Reports provide evidence of the change in students’ entrepreneurial behaviours over time  by comparing the MBA tool results from the start and the end of a workshop, project and module.

Supporting the professional development of educators

We provide a free Mindset Behaviour Analysis tool for educators to help them to understand and apply the entrepreneurial mindset.  The tool introduces educators to the concept of the entrepreneurial mindset and its practical application in teaching and research. By applying the mindset within their own duties, educators can begin to act as an entrepreneurial role model for their students.  Educators will find further inspiration and practical advice about using the entrepreneurial mindset by reading the  summaries of our educational webinars and the diverse range of articles in our EXPRESS eZINE.

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 the impact and practical application of this new knowledge and the generation of greater value for society.

Supporting PhD students and their career ambitions

We provide a 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, and 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 our highly-rated Entrepreneurial 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

We provide a free Mindset Behaviour Analysis tool for PhD supervisors, to help them to understand and apply the entrepreneurial mindset in their research, supervision of research students, innovation and university-business collaboration. Researchers can consider applying to join the 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 

We provide a free Mindset Behaviour Analysis for education leaders, that helps them to understand the concept of the entrepreneurial mindset and how it can be used to enhance the impact of their leadership. We also provide free Mindset Behaviour Analysis for staff working in professional services of higher education institution. This MBA tool introduces the concept of the entrepreneurial mindset and its use in customer service innovation and the continuous improvement of professional services.

Leadership development and organisational transformation 

We are proud to provide a highly-rated Entrepreneurial mindset workshop for higher education professionals. 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 entrepreneurial ambitions there has to be change in organisational culture.  This requires time and the highest quality leadership.  To help a university to progress with this transformation the Network has created the E-STAR quality standards,  which offer guidance on the application of the Entrepreneurial mindset in four core activities:

Student education and career planning,

Transfer of knowledge to business, Academic innovation and development,

Regional impact (economic, social & cultural).

A sharp focus on the needs of stakeholders

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. However, above all the E-STAR quality standards have been designed to focus on the support that stakeholders need. Universities can use the E-STAR quality standards to self-assess the quality of their entrepreneurial offer.   The outcome is a set of concrete actions for improvements to the range of communications with stakeholders. There is also an option to invest in a guided E-STAR self-assessment.

Maximising the competitive advantage in higher education

A university can invest in a  peer review which will generate feedback from a panel of international higher education experts. If it is judged to have met the quality standards, the university 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 be awarded E-STAR Accreditation was the Management and Science University in April 2023. The importance of the accreditation to the future development of the university was noted in a  statement by the Chairman and President.