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Interest in higher education institutions (HEIs) as instruments for development has increased in recent years. The main objective of this paper is to address the contribution of HEIs to development through their missions, models, and challenges. With this purpose, we perform a historical analysis and characterise higher-education systems through the perspective of university models and missions, noticing relevant aspects regarding the evolution of this institution over time, as well as the transformations undergone. We also consider the main challenges that current higher education systems face in the 21st century. As methodological approaches, we carry out a literature review complemented by a comparative analysis based on data from the higher education systems of ten European countries. The findings show that HEIs can contribute to development through their missions, which are related to the models of higher education. Their first mission (teaching) contributes to improving human capital and attracting highly qualified people to their regions; the second mission (research) improves scientific knowledge which can foster innovative activities; and the third mission (community service) acts as a link between research and business, including patents, business incubators, and collaboration agreements. We also conclude that the challenges of higher education in the 21st century can be categorised essentially in three main areas: (1) globalisation and massification of higher education, as well as the internationalisation of HEIs' missions and diversification of the educational supply to attract new students; (2) new technologies related to the digitalisation of teaching and distance learning; and (3) higher education entrepreneurship, showing the importance of university-company relationships. This paper provides a global setting for a reflection on the role of HEIs in the 21st century, given their connection with society and the need for a more effective contribution to socio-economic development.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of classroom interdisciplinary diversity, a type of classroom diversity that has been under-examined by previous literature, on the formation of university students' entrepreneurial intentions (EI). Design/methodology/approach: Based on Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour and the interactionist model of creative behaviour by Woodman "et al." (1993), this paper provides empirical evidence demonstrating that classroom interdisciplinary diversity is important in the formation of university students' EI at early educational stages using a cross-sectional study design and survey data on first-year business school students and partial least squares analysis. Findings: Classroom interdisciplinary diversity is important in the formation of university students' EI through its positive impact on entrepreneurial perceived behavioural control (PBC) (self-efficacy), a key antecedent of EI. Practical implications: The results have important implications for educational practice as well as for both public and private organisations willing to promote entrepreneurial activity, in particular, the positive effects of combining people with different profiles and career fields of interest on entrepreneurial PBC (self-efficacy). Originality/value: This study contributes to the scant literature on early university experiences in entrepreneurship education and their influence on EI. It studies the impact of an under-examined dimension of diversity (classroom interdisciplinary diversity) on the formation of students' EI.

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the impact of enterprise education on entrepreneurial attitude within European higher education institutions (HEIs) in France, Germany and Poland. The research seeks to consider whether differences between cultural and industrial heritage can influence entrepreneurial attitude and mediate the effectiveness of enterprise education. Design/methodology/approach: Research argues that Europe requires more entrepreneurs willing to innovate and create new ventures to facilitate economic growth. This research builds on prior studies, which have examined the impact of enterprise education and training on business start-up. In particular the study utilises the concept of entrepreneurial attitude to measure how enterprise education influences students' perceptions of, and motivations towards, entrepreneurship as a viable career option. The study contrasts and compares the impact of a short enterprise course on entrepreneurial attitude among undergraduate students in French, German and Polish HEIs. A quantitative methodology employed a research instrument utilising five-point Likert arrays to contrast attitudes and opinions of students both prior to, and after, the delivery of the course. Findings: Enterprise education has a positive impact on entrepreneurial attitude of French and Polish students. Conversely, the course had a negative impact on male German students. It was also found that while female students are more likely to perceive a greater benefit from the learning experience, the impact of enterprise education on entrepreneurial attitude is actually more significant for male students. Practical implications: The research findings are of interest to academia and policy makers. The study suggests that entrepreneurial attitude among European students can be influenced by exposure to enterprise education. The results also indicate that gender, cultural and industrial heritage can moderate the impact of enterprise education. Originality/value: The paper provides evidence that differences between gender, culture and regional settings need to be considered in the design and delivery of enterprise programmes if they are to have the desired impact on entrepreneurial intent and graduate entrepreneurship. (Contains 8 tables and 1 figure.)

This paper looks at eight comparative case-studies on academic entrepreneurs in life sciences conducted in Europe in 2008. The interviewees were selected from the KEINS database that lists all academic inventors from Italy, France, Sweden and the Netherlands who have one or more patent applications registered at the European Patent Office, 1978-2004. The case-studies show that institutions largely influence the way in which scientists are coping with the normative uncertainty typical of science and technology systemic boundaries in the life sciences today. By exploring new local solutions, the entrepreneurial achievements of scientists are also establishing new institutional practices. Our empirical analysis helps to reconsider traditional dichotomies in the sociological, economic and institutional literature, such as publications versus patents and academia versus industry, and to illustrate the creative role of academic entrepreneurs.

Widespread demand has recently arisen for measures to be taken to provide students in higher education with the opportunity to acquire entrepreneurial skills. Echoes of this demand are to be found in recent work produced by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and in the desire expressed in 2010 by the French government to set up "Student Entrepreneurship Clusters" in the country's universities. In this paper a description of the objectives defined for these clusters is followed by an examination of the feasibility of a new offer targeting, in a given region, students in different academic years studying for different qualifications. The manner in which entrepreneurial skills are acquired is analysed with a view to developing a systematic picture of the process. Finally, the issue of assessing students' acquisition of entrepreneurial skills is also addressed. (Contains 3 notes and 1 figure.)

Arguably, entrepreneurship is still a recent phenomenon in French society, and its higher education establishments are still experimenting with ways to teach entrepreneurship and enterprise creation. This paper presents a unique opportunity to compare and contrast the entrepreneurial intention of French higher education students at three different establishments (a management Grande Ecole, an engineering Grande Ecole and a university) using the Shapero intention model. The study found that most of the students wanted to work in large organizations and were not intending to create a new company or work in a family business. There were significant differences, however, between management and engineering students in terms of their entrepreneurial environment, which may affect their attitudes to new business creation. The authors conclude that, while enforced learning through entrepreneurial courses and seminars may initially be off-putting, such initiatives may have longer-term beneficial impacts on entrepreneurial intention. (Contains 10 tables, 1 figure and 1 note.)

Includes "Partnerships, Configurations and Dynamics in the Creation and Development of SMEs [Small and Medium-sized Enterprises] by Researchers: A Study of Academic Entrepreneurs in France" (Mustar); "The Emerging Paradigm for Technology Learning in the Knowledge Society: The Case of Brazil" (Baeta); and "Italian Industrial Districts: A Triple Helix Pattern of Problem Solving" (Biggiero). (SK)