Issue 1, 2016

Butryumova N. N., Slepneva Yu. N. Students Involvement in Innovation Entrepreneurship: Experience of the Higher School of Economics in Nizhny Novgorod.

The purpose of the article is to assess entrepreneurial spirit and entrepreneurial activity of students and to identify students’ needs in specific educational programs concerning the development of entrepreneurship projects in the innovative sphere and study the case of National Research University Higher School of Economics in Nizhny Novgorod (HSE NN). The empirical study was conducted in three stages during 2014–2015, including desk study, interviews with experts and students survey. Authors adapted GEM and GUESSS questionnaires according to the aim to study students’ needs in entrepreneurship education in the innovative sphere. Questions added concern students’ needs in developing entrepreneurial competencies, skills, educational formats and topics of the entrepreneurship in the innovation sphere. Findings show the entrepreneurial spirit and activity of the HSE NN students, their needs in special educational programs in entrepreneurship in the innovation sphere. Students are ready to start an entrepreneurial project only after acquiring some experience as employees. Findings indicate low entrepreneurial activity among HSE NN students. One of the main reasons for that is the shortage of the entrepreneurial competencies and skills among students. Low involvement of students in the current educational activities in the entrepreneurship is caused by low quality and effectiveness of them. It is offered, that curriculums for entrepreneurship and extracurricular activities should focus on entrepreneurship practices through the development of students’ projects. Findings reveal the most needed topics for studying the entrepreneurship in the innovation sphere, such as team formation, business-planning, market strategy of launching of the new product, depending on the specialization of students. Research limitations appear in the focus on students of HSE NN. But the methodology could be used for the surveys of other Universities. It is worth mentioning the sample limitation. Due to the economic profile of the HSE NN, the research sample involves more students with economic specialization and less amount of students with mathematical and social specializations. The sample does not include technical specializations. Russian and foreign universities could use the results in developing and improving educational activities for students in the entrepreneurship in the innovation sphere. Originality of the paper concerns the adaptation of the questionnaire to the survey in entrepreneurship in the innovation sphere. It allows revealing students’ needs in the educational activities in innovation entrepreneurship. Keywords: innovative entrepreneurship, training tools, entrepreneurial activity, entrepreneurial intentions, entrepreneurial education.

<< Contents: Issue 1, 2016
<< Go to archive