Changing Times at Cuban Universities: Looking into the Transition towards a Social, Entrepreneurial and Innovative Organization

Since the 1990s, the socialist higher education system has faced several reforms oriented to satisfy the social, economic, and technological demands. However, little is known about the transformation process of the socialist university system over the past two decades. This study provides a better understanding of the entrepreneurial and innovative transition of universities located in socialist economies. By adopting mixed theoretical approaches, we proposed a conceptual model to understand the social, the innovative and the entrepreneurial transformation of socialist universities. We revised/tested this model in the context of the Cuban University by implementing a prospective case study approach. Our findings show insights about the transition towards a business model innovation within the Cuban university. The determinants have been the state regulations, the closing of the complete cycle from teaching to the commercialization of results and the creation of hybrid structures to manage knowledge. Consequently, the university is facing managerial challenges related to its ability to explore/exploit its activities to generate social, innovative and economic outcomes. Our results provide practical implications for the university managers and actors involved in the transformation process of the Cuban Universit

Youth employment in start up ventures in Jordan: an exploratory study

Youth in developing countries are faced with high unemployment rates, even when they possess higher education degrees. In the developing world, small business and entrepreneurial ventures constitute the main drivers of economic development and offer employment opportunities for youth. Nevertheless, when faced with a career decision after their studies, youth seem to prefer careers in established companies over start-ups. As a consequence, start-ups find it more difficult to find and hire the right employees although they are available in the market. This study aims at examining the factors behind youth career decisions to work for a start-up company and provides suggestions for both research and practice. By relying on both entrepreneurship and career decision-making literature, we developed a theoretical model that includes background factors and individual characteristics. Results from a survey on youth graduates from Jordan show that a high school education fostered critical thinking and international exposure, the participation in entrepreneurial events and creativity, which predicted the willingness to work for a start-up

Higher education for samrt specialisation. The case of Navarre, Spain

This report gathers the main findings extracted from the Navarre case study carried out in the framework of the Higher Education and Smart Specialisation (HESS) project managed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. Navarre has been one of the two regions covered as case studies during the first phase of the project. The overall aim of HESS is to understand and provide support to national and regional authorities on how to integrate higher education into the policy mixes of their Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3). This technical report provides some interesting insights into how an advanced region with high involvement of universities in the early phase of S3 definition is facing the challenges of their role in the implementation phase. On the one hand, it shows that different universities in the same region are likely to vary in nature and function and as such may contribute differently to the S3. In Navarre, one of the two universities is more research oriented with a strong focus on the attraction of international talent, while the other is more regionally rooted with close ties to local companies and stakeholders. On the other hand, the report identifies tensions in engaging individual researchers in regional development activities, as well as potential mechanisms and tools to overcome them. The methodology used during the project has included qualitative research methods, participatory workshops and desk-research activitiesEste informe recoge las principales conclusiones extraídas del estudio de caso de Navarra realizado en el marco del proyecto Higher Education and Smart Specialisation (HESS) gestionado por el Centro Común de Investigación de la Comisión Europea. Navarra ha sido una de las dos regiones cubiertas como casos de estudio durante la primera fase del proyecto. El objetivo general de HESS es comprender y proporcionar apoyo a las autoridades nacionales y regionales sobre cómo integrar la educación superior en las combinaciones de políticas de sus Estrategias de Especialización Inteligente (S3). Este informe técnico proporciona algunas ideas interesantes sobre cómo una región avanzada con una alta participación de las universidades en la fase inicial de la definición de la S3 está enfrentando los desafíos de su papel en la fase de implementación. Por un lado, muestra que las diferentes universidades de la misma región pueden variar en su naturaleza y función y, como tal, pueden contribuir de manera diferente a la S3. En Navarra, una de las dos universidades está más orientada a la investigación con un fuerte enfoque en la atracción de talento internacional, mientras que la otra está más enraizada regionalmente con estrechos lazos con las empresas y actores locales. Por otra parte, el informe identifica las tensiones en la participación de los investigadores individuales en actividades de desarrollo regional, así como los posibles mecanismos y herramientas para superarlas. La metodología utilizada durante el proyecto ha incluido métodos de investigación cualitativa, talleres participativos y actividades de investigación de escritorio

From a Student of Startup Business to a Startup Employee or Entrepreneur : Study on Career Narratives of Students in Entrepreneurial Programs in a University

This paper aims at understanding of the incidents, relationships and processes that has lead students engaged in study programs focusing on start-up/entrepreneurship activity in technology business to become employees and entrepreneurs in the aforementioned industry. Via qualitative approach based on career history and projections (career narratives) written by the respondents this study aims at shedding light on the process of grasping the entrepreneurial or employment opportunity and thus give ideas of pedagogical and professional arrangements that may foster the development of practices leading to employment and entrepreneurship in the business type in scope