Journal of East China Normal University(Educationa ›› 2016, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (2): 39-44.doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2016.02.005

• Entrepreneurship Education in Universities(高校创业教育 ) • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Development of Entrepreneurship Education in UK Higher Education Institutions and its Implication

HUANG Zhao-Xin,ZHANG Zhong-Qiu,ZHAO Guo-Jing,WANG Zhi-Qiang   

  1. The Entrepreneurship Development Institute, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035;School of Teacher Education, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035
  • Online:2016-05-20 Published:2016-07-05
  • Contact: HUANG Zhao-Xin,ZHANG Zhong-Qiu,ZHAO Guo-Jing,WANG Zhi-Qiang
  • About author:HUANG Zhao-Xin,ZHANG Zhong-Qiu,ZHAO Guo-Jing,WANG Zhi-Qiang

Abstract: Since the second revolutionary academic change from research universities to entrepreneurial universities in the 1980s, most UK higher education institutions have engaged in creating an atmosphere of entrepreneurial culture, offering entrepreneurial courses and promoting business practices. In this regard, the British government’s policies about college students’ entrepreneurship further pushes the development of entrepreneurship education in the UK, and provides fundamental guarantee for its prosperity. The future trend of the development of higher education institutions in the UK is the transformation from research university to entrepreneurial university. Its main concern is to strengthen the vitality of the UK higher education, and to draw some lessons from the transformation. And more generally, the whole world is in the event of such a change. There are many pressures, like funding for education, government intervention, innovation, student entrepreneurs, social mobility and employment, development of inter-regional partnerships as well as the use of modern information technology and international market changes. British universities and the government are facing a great challenge regarding how to promote the innovation and development of entrepreneurship education and to push the transformation of the British university model. Currently, the construction of entrepreneurship education system in British universities has the following characteristics: a layered and diverse curriculum, professional and innovative entrepreneurial faculty, flexible and diversified teaching methods, improved organization system, close cooperation between universities and enterprises to promote entrepreneurship practice. All this provides some reference for the development of entrepreneurship education in China’s higher education institutions. Compared with the UK, there exist many issues in Chinese universities’ entrepreneurship education. For example, understanding of entrepreneurship education is too formalized and utilitarian. Students lack innovative thinking. Entrepreneurship curriculum content is fragmented. The entrepreneurial ability of teachers should be improved. Moreover, Entrepreneurship education management mechanism is not perfect and there are no necessary synergies among various functional departments. Lessons can be drawn from the following four aspects. First, to explore the new school running modes and cultivate innovative entrepreneurial talents. Second, to highlight innovative thinking of the curriculum system and create innovative entrepreneurial teams of teachers. Third, to strengthen efforts to support the organization of entrepreneurship education and improve the framework of entrepreneurship education. Fourth, to enhance the interaction, exchange and cooperation between schools and enterprises and establish the brand awareness of higher education institutions.