Student entrepreneurship – research on development

Poznań University of Technology, Faculty of Engineering Management, Strzelecka 11, Poznań, Poland

^* Corresponding author: malgorzata.rembiasz@put.poznan.pl

Abstract

The article discusses selected theoretical aspects of student entrepreneurship and the findings of the author’s research in this field. Academic entrepreneurship programmes constitute a significant component of higher education. In the empirical part of the study, which relied on auditorium surveys, the author found that students are strongly motivated to engage in business pursuits and identified barriers to their entrepreneurial engagement. The respondents varied widely in their opinions on the nature of entrepreneurship and enterprises. Such a broad range of opinions underscores the complexity of entrepreneurship in today’s economies. Programmes of entrepreneurship education in higher education systems should place greater emphasis on the formalities required for starting a business and raising funds for this purpose. The development of entrepreneurial skills from a young age should be recognised as critical for creating a community capable of functioning in a knowledge-based economy.