The Entrepreneurial University: Evidence of the Changing Role of Universities in Modern Russia

Abstract

<jats:p> This paper examines the evolution of the entrepreneurial function of Russia's leading universities: the study is based on a conceptualization of a university's entrepreneurial development pathway developed by the OECD in 2009. The data on entrepreneurship development were collected in 2012 through a survey of technology transfer and innovation development managers of 18 National Research Universities. The primary data were complemented by desktop analysis of the strategy development documents of the universities surveyed. The results suggest that in the period studied, 2008–2012, a new type of university, the entrepreneurial university, has emerged in Russia. However, these entrepreneurial universities are facing serious challenges in the implementation of an entrepreneurial, innovation-oriented mission due to the lack of managerial competencies and inadequate infrastructure development. The paper has significant theoretical and practical implications in shedding light on the development of the entrepreneurial university in Russia, where the process is still in its infancy. The authors depict a trajectory of entrepreneurial transformation in and barriers to this process that, it is argued, university executives and policy makers should take into consideration. </jats:p>

Dynamic capabilities and the entrepreneurial university: a perspective on the knowledge transfer capabilities of universities

“…The literature on entrepreneurial universities covers a broad range of areas in relation to the evolution of an entrepreneurial university, from reformulating the university mission and strategy to include realigning the university with realworld, pressing external challenges and demands right through to embedding entrepreneurship education throughout university curricula and developing an infrastructure to support graduate entrepreneurship (Williams and Kluev 2014). 'The research stream on the entrepreneurial university views entrepreneurial activity as a step in the natural evolution of a university system that emphasizes economic development in addition to the more traditional mandates of education and research' (Rothaermel, Agung, and Jiang 2007).…”

Role of the University in city agglomerations sustainable development

“…In the work [16] in the frame of Russian universities research entrepreneurial potential modified model was used [22], which consists 6 characteristics groups.…”

“…During the analysis of external environment development in the work [22] it is assessed how university entrepreneurial activity influenced on its surrounding and graduates, in the work [16] it is recommended to lead regular monitoring of graduates entrepreneurial activity. While evaluating the universities entrepreneurial potential the main is an expert method realized via target groups questionnaire with further results processing with the help of grade-rating assessment.…”

“…Expert assessment (according to 5 grade scale) of UrFU entrepreneurial potential in 2015 in the framework of the work model [16] with consideration of offered influence indicators is shown in picture 1 on the basis of three target expert groups cancassrepresentatives of the university, business and authorities. Model of sustainable city development with new indicator groups offered in the article, and model of entrepreneurial university with the unit of university indicators of impact on economics and society are congruent, i.e.…”

“…Analyzing the systems of indicators which characterize universities entrepreneurial potential, performed in a series of works [16,17] shows that they are focused mainly on revealing inner factors of entrepreneurial medium development though а detailed analysis of university activity results influence on economics and society is absent.…”