This is an interesting paper. Thanks for sharing!

I think that entrepreneurship is very relevant for many students from diverse backgrounds (not only business students). For instance, creativity and Innovation are important elements of Engineering subjects as well.

http://drmarkcamilleri.com/2013/06/04/economic-growths-correlation-with-education-2/

Dear Giselle,

To understand creativity (I would address only one trait) we need to know human genetics to some extent. Some traits like creativity is controlled by several genes or continuum of genes. No human being can exist without these genes.

Undoubtedly, university students are possessing above genes more than ones who have failed to get admitted to a university. However, difference exist among university students since the creativity trait is a continuous variable. Now your question is whether education could enhance creativity.

Geneticists agree a trait could be enhance by environment. Phenotype is given as the interaction of genotype with the environment. Environment in this context refers to the education. Entrepreneurship scholars treat education in a broader sense including experiential leaning or business experience, no. of opportunities exploited etc (Usbasaran et al. 2006) . Therefore answer to first question, Should universities teach innovation and entrepreneurship? is 'Yes'.

The second question how? this also vary with context. Australia, a developed country, context is different from developing country. Students in developing countries enter to university to earn a degree to secure an gainful employment. Industry placement for in-plant training is just one subject or component towards completing the degree. There are small percentage of students who wanted to start business but never use in-plant training for enhancement of creativity. they have prioritized their objectives--first to complete the degree.

In contrast, university students in developing countries (i.e., USA) select some specializations to enhance exiting skills and knowledge either to start a business or to grow their existing business. in some universities in the USA (i.e., Cornell) teaches small business course with the assistance of real world entrepreneurs , mostly Cornell graduates. These classes very popular among students and develop business plans in consultations with those business practitioners.

Above is one way to answer your " how" question..

Upananda

Agree with Frederic. Don't most graduates of business schools want to join consultancies rather than start their own businesses? I would put the entrepreneurial course focus on content expertise areas (e.g. life sciences, engineering), and not teach it in business schools anyway as you have to discover or invent something, not just wish it into existence with a business plan.

The academic risk is that students get taught entrepreneuriship with courses such as the epistemology of entrepreneurial discourse, or some such. Academics are rewarded for papers not numbers of entrepreneurs or companies started. If it were otherwise, we would have much better research translation.

The University of Malta has the de Bono Institute and entrepreneurship courses. Quite important I think in assembling the right intellectual infrastructure.

I held an adjust position at a business school--and only taught "creativity." When I was hired I said, "I do not have a business background...I am a cognitive psychologist," but they were adamant about the need for creativity, for innovation and entrepreneurship. I agreed and, 10 years later, believe this more than ever.

I think universities should teach innovation - but not using a traditional business or engineering school approach - perhaps an "innovative" approach...? Holding with a interactional view of innovation ("Social Physics" - Pentland; http://thepenguinpress.com/book/social-physics-how-ideas-turn-into-actions/); it's not about teaching students "how" to innovate in a rigid or semi-rigid step-by-step manner that resembles a science experiment, but recognizing that certain conditions are required to create the atmosphere and conditions to innovate. In my opinion, you cannot force innovation to happen - it may be forced upon you through market or economic drivers/conditions, but simply saying to someone, "please innovate for me by five o'clock." doesn't work. Innovation has to come from the recognition of a specific need or specific goal, and maybe sometimes just having your eyes open enough to think laterally, and as Pentland says, use the idea generating interactions and take them to the next step(s).

Check out Stanford entrepreneurship program, 

University of Maine has the Foster Center for Innovation which offers courses in Innovation Engineering, for undergraduates and grad students.

http://foster.target.maine.edu/educators/minor

Most universities can't teach innovation or entrepreneurship. As evidenced by the many entrepreneurial, start-up founders that have dropped out from college.Not because universities don't want to, but because it is hard to define what is truly entrepreneurial at a given point in time. By definition, innovation and entrepreneurship is anti- status quo, and futuristic. The ones that do try and teach it have "entrepreneur-in-residence", where the courses are usually design over a few weeks of intense sessions rather than a full semester. Alternatively they seek to be as interdisciplinary in focus as possible. After all innovation and entrepreneurship is usually a puzzle-solving exercise requiring flexibility & adaptability.

www.forbes.com/sites/henrydoss/2015/02/25/our-universities-are-not-teaching-innovation/

www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/canadian-university-report/idealist-universities-have-programs-for-you/article14963902/?service=mobile

Yes, any learning has its value. however, if you capture students at the university/college level for such courses and they have not the grit and risk taking profiles that are necessary or, alternatively, they have not been nurtured in grade school or high school then it is almost too late to have much of an impact.