Fulbright Specialist Workshop
Strengthening Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in South African Universities: Embedding Entrepreneurship into the Curriculum
Universities South Africa (USAf), through its Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme, is partnering with the US Fulbright Specialist Programme to enhance entrepreneurship education and ecosystem development within its 26 member universities.
Over two days, the programme will equip university leadership, faculty, and support professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary to develop sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems within their institutions. Through a series of interactive workshops, the Fulbright Specialist will engage key stakeholders including Deputy Vice Chancellors of Teaching and Research and Innovation, Deans, Directors, academic staff, and innovation professionals in curriculum development, pedagogical training, and policy alignment to integrate entrepreneurship across disciplines. The programme aims to advance the role of universities in fostering student entrepreneurship, reducing graduate unemployment, and strengthening institutional capacity. By the end of the initiative, each participating university should be able to design actionable implementation plans and strategic frameworks to embed entrepreneurship into their core academic offerings, contributing to a dynamic and innovation-driven higher education landscape in South Africa.
South Africa faces challenges related to graduate unemployment and the need for economic diversification. Entrepreneurship is recognised as a key driver of economic growth and job creation. USAf, through the EDHE programme, is committed to fostering entrepreneurship within higher education institutions. While EDHE has made significant strides in connecting the university entrepreneurship ecosystem, additional expertise and targeted support are needed to maximise its impact. The Fulbright Specialist Programme provides an opportunity to leverage international expertise and best practices in entrepreneurship education.
The overall goal of this workshop is to support the institutionalisation of entrepreneurship within South African universities by equipping university leadership, faculty, and support professionals with the knowledge, tools, and frameworks necessary to develop and sustain entrepreneurial ecosystems. Through a structured train-the-trainer model, the workshop aims to enhance entrepreneurship curriculum development, foster innovation-driven teaching methodologies, and align institutional policies with global best practices in entrepreneurship education. By the end of the workshop, universities will be better positioned to integrate entrepreneurship into their core academic functions, cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets among students, and contribute meaningfully to economic growth and job creation in South Africa.
This workshop aims to achieve the following specific objectives:
1) Enhance Entrepreneurship Curriculum Development
- Equip academic staff with tools and methodologies to integrate entrepreneurship into various disciplines.
- Develop frameworks for entrepreneurship education that align with institutional goals and national economic priorities.
2) Strengthen Pedagogical Approaches for Teaching Entrepreneurship
- Introduce experiential learning techniques, including problem-based learning, innovation challenges, and live case studies.
- Train faculty and support professionals on effective mentorship and student engagement strategies for entrepreneurship development.
3) Support Institutional Policy Alignment for Entrepreneurial Universities
- Guide university leadership in embedding entrepreneurship within institutional policies, governance, and strategic plans.
- Foster interdepartmental collaboration to create a cohesive and supportive entrepreneurship ecosystem within universities.
4) Develop Sustainable Entrepreneurship Support Structures
- Enhance the capacity of university incubators, innovation hubs, and tech-transfer offices to support student and faculty entrepreneurs.
- Strengthen mentorship and funding networks to support entrepreneurial ventures emerging from universities.
5) Promote Stakeholder Engagement and Ecosystem Building
- Facilitate collaboration between universities, industry, government, and international partners to create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship.
- Encourage knowledge-sharing and best practice exchange among South African universities to enhance entrepreneurial education and research.
6) Generate Actionable Implementation Plans for Universities
- Assist universities in designing roadmaps for embedding entrepreneurship into their curricula and campus-wide initiatives.
- Ensure each participating university develops a tailored action plan to sustain entrepreneurship education beyond the workshop.
By achieving these objectives, the workshop will play a critical role in fostering a robust, innovation-driven higher education system
The programme will utilise a train-the-trainer model, empowering university personnel to become champions of entrepreneurship within their institutions. The Fulbright Specialist will conduct regional workshops, duplicated in six regions. The two day workshop will be structured as follows:
DAY 1: Stakeholder Engagement and Train-the-Trainer Model
Opening session and programme orientation
- Overview of the objectives of the workshop.
- University representatives share existing entrepreneurship efforts and challenges.
- Group discussion with participants to understand the current curriculum structure, student engagement, and areas requiring development.
Entrepreneurial curriculum design and integration
- Principles of entrepreneurial curriculum
- Introduction to core principles in entrepreneurship education.
- Aligning entrepreneurship with academic goals across disciplines.
- Curriculum customisation for South African context
- Adapting successful entrepreneurship curriculum models to fit local needs
- Examples of curriculum structures and integration points for faculties.
Pedagogy and Student Engagement
- Entrepreneurial Pedagogy
- Practical methods for teaching entrepreneurship through experiential learning.
- Incorporating problem-based learning, innovation challenges, and live cases into the classroom.
- Mentorship and Support Mechanisms for Students
- Developing a framework for mentoring entrepreneurial students through faculty guidance and peer-to-peer support.
Institutionalising Entrepreneurship
- Embedding Entrepreneurship into University Policy
- Understanding the role of leadership in supporting entrepreneurship.
- Aligning faculty-level initiatives with institutional goals and external partnerships.
- Creating Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
- Best practices for building linkages with external stakeholders (industry, government, and funders).
- Strategies to support an inclusive and holistic entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus.
Group Breakout Discussions
- Faculty and support staff break into groups to discuss how they can implement new ideas within their departments and units.
- Specialist provides guidance on developing actionable strategies for each group.
DAY 2: Final Session and Wrap-Up
Strategy Session: Action Planning and Institutional Roadmap
- Each group presents their implementation plans for the entrepreneurship curriculum and support programmes.
- The specialist provides feedback on the proposed strategies.
- Discussion of challenges and potential solutions for long-term success.
Final Recommendations & Debrief
- Specialist presents a summary of key insights from the programme and offers recommendations for the ongoing institutionalisation of entrepreneurship.
- Final discussion on follow-up steps and continued collaboration between the university and external partners.
The core strategy is a train-the-trainer model which means the Fulbright Specialist won’t just be teaching/workshopping on entrepreneurship concepts but, more importantly, equipping university staff to teach those concepts to others within their institutions. This creates a ripple effect, multiplying the impact of the programme. The goal is to develop “champions of entrepreneurship” within each university who can continue to drive entrepreneurial initiatives after the Fulbright Specialist’s visit.
Each university is required to nominate five key representatives to participate in this EDHE Fulbright Specialist Programme, ensuring a well-rounded delegation that can drive entrepreneurship within the institution. These representatives should include, but are not limited to, Deputy Vice-Chancellors (DVCs), Deans of various faculties, academic staff, tech-transfer officers, and support professionals such as incubation and innovation hub staff and student support officers. Additionally, members of the EDHE Community of Practice are encouraged to participate. The selected individuals should hold strategic and operational responsibilities in fostering an entrepreneurial university culture, supporting student and faculty entrepreneurship, and ensuring the integration of entrepreneurship into the university curriculum. Their role will be to champion institutional transformation, facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration, and implement the insights gained from the programme to create sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems within their universities.
Upon successful completion of this workshop, the following key outcomes are expected:
1) Enhanced Entrepreneurship Curriculum and Teaching Practices
- Universities will have improved entrepreneurship curricula embedded across multiple disciplines.
- Faculty and academic staff will be equipped with innovative pedagogical tools to teach entrepreneurship using experiential learning techniques.
2) Strengthened Institutional Policies and Strategic Alignment
- Universities will have clear policy frameworks for integrating entrepreneurship into their academic structures and governance.
- University leadership will be better equipped to institutionalise entrepreneurship as a core function within their institutions.
3) Improved University-Based Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
- Stronger entrepreneurship support structures, including incubators, innovation hubs, and tech-transfer offices.
- Increased collaboration between different departments and faculties to foster interdisciplinary entrepreneurship initiatives.\
4) Increased Capacity for Mentorship and Student Support
- Faculty and support professionals will be trained to effectively mentor and support student entrepreneurs.
- A structured mentorship and advisory framework will be developed to guide student entrepreneurial ventures.
5) Stronger Industry and Ecosystem Linkages
- Strengthened relationships between universities, industry partners, government agencies, and funders to support entrepreneurship initiatives.\
- Increased opportunities for students and faculty to engage with external stakeholders through partnerships and funding opportunities.
6) Actionable Entrepreneurship Roadmaps for Universities
- Each participating university will develop a concrete Entrepreneurship Action Plan outlining steps to institutionalise entrepreneurship within their academic and operational structures.
- A strategy document will be created to ensure long-term sustainability and impact of the programme.
7) Sustainable Impact on Graduate Employability and Economic Development
- Universities will be better positioned to produce entrepreneurial graduates who can create their own employment opportunities.
- Increased contribution of university-led entrepreneurship initiatives to economic development and job creation in South Africa.
By achieving these outcomes, the programme will ensure that our universities become engines of entrepreneurship and innovation, significantly contributing to national and regional economic growth.
