What is SHINE?

Many higher education institutions around the world engage in entrepreneurial activities. However, these opportunities only involve a tiny percentage of the total number of students, academics, and societal stakeholders. There is a lack of understanding of how HEIs could scale up their entrepreneurial activities to engage substantially larger numbers of people. To address this gap, SHINE, with 40 partners in 28 countries, is investigating Scaling Higher education Innovation using the Entrepreneurial mindset

To date SHINE has generated a variety of resources that higher education professionals can use to stimulate their self-reflection and action planning in regard to the use of the entrepreneurial mindset in teaching, research and organisational transformation. These developmental resources include summaries of 16 webinars, 24 case studies, 2 workshops, and Mindset Behaviour Analysis tools or MBA tools.

Which countries are in SHINE?

Currently SHINE counts 40 industry and higher education professionals from 28 countries in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, South America, Southeast Asia and the UK. The diversity of the partners means that SHINE crosses subject discipline, organisational, geographic, and cultural boundaries. The countries represented in SHINE are:

• 13 European Union countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain)
• 4 African countries (Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria & Tunisia)
• 4 Southeastern Europe countries (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia)
• 4 United Kingdom countries (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales)
• 1 Middle East country (Türkiye)
• 1 South American country (Ecuador)
• 1 Southeast Asia country (Malaysia)

How is SHINE co-ordinated?

SHINE is co-ordinated by the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network, an international community of practice for the entrepreneurial mindset with members in 107 countries. Entrepreneurial Mindset Education is a special interest group of the global Entrepreneurial Mindset Network and in common with SHINE its mission is to inspire people to make their unique contribution to higher education through use of the entrepreneurial mindset. The entrepreneurial mindset is relevant not only to entrepreneurs but also to everyone around the world who is engaged in higher education including students, educators, researchers, professional services staff and leaders.

How does SHINE define the entrepreneurial mindset?

SHINE uses the definition of the entrepreneurial mindset devised by the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network.  The definition is distinctive because it is based on entrepreneurial behaviours. As an aid to memory, 1 essential entrepreneurial behaviour is allocated to each of the 7 letters in the word MINDSET.  The definition of the entrepreneurial mindset is available for [DOWNLOAD] in the following 16 languages:

[عربي] [中国人] [Deutschen] [ελληνικά] [English] [Español] [français] [italiano] [Nederlands] [Português] [ਪੰਜਾਬੀ] [română] [Русский] [Српски] [shqip] [Türkçe]

How can educators use the mindset?

Educators can use the entrepreneurial mindset to enhance their teaching, research and external engagement. The mindset goes beyond generic, transferable skills and envisions that academics in any academic discipline, can help students to think and act like an entrepreneur. Formative assessment is an opportunity for educators to help students innovate, to take risks and to develop the confidence to embrace learning through failure.

How can professional services staff benefit from the mindset?

The learning process, in which students and educators are engaged, is supported by a wide range of professional services, including libraries, learning resources, careers, research and knowledge exchange.  The entrepreneurial mindset supports  improvements in customer service, innovation, risk taking, financial sustainability and connections to industry and society.

How does the mindset make better leaders?

The entrepreneurial mindset enables senior staff to undertake entrepreneurial leadership, that is, leading in a way which is informed by how entrepreneurs think and act. The results are higher levels of engagement and motivation amongst employees, increased innovation and risk taking, and higher levels of productivity. Leaders can use the mindset to build an organisational culture that is fit-for-purpose, delivers excellent performance and secures long-term sustainability.

What is SHINE investigating?

SHINE is investigating 2 major research questions.

1 How can Higher Education scale up existing entrepreneurial and innovation capacity for the benefit of greater numbers of students and societal stakeholders?

2 How can Higher Education apply key concepts from entrepreneurship (i.e. entrepreneurial mindset, start-up and scale-up) to overcome the typical barriers to change management?

In effect the aim of the project is to investigate how higher education professionals can use the entrepreneurial mindset to improve teaching, research, organisational transformation and societal impact.

How is SHINE featured in a book on entrepreneurship education?

A chapter about the SHINE Project appears in the book 'Entrepreneurship Education and Internationalisation: Cases, Collaborations and Contexts (Routledge Advances in Management and Business Studies).' The editor of the book is Robert Crammond and the author of the chapter is Paul Coyle, both SHINE partners. The book is available to purchase from Routledge.

How did SHINE contribute to the 3E2024 conference?

A proposal for a Professional Development Workshop (PDW), using the Mindset Behaviour Analysis (MBA) tool for higher education academics, was peer reviewed and selected for the 3E2024 conference in May 2024. The facilitators of the PDW were the two SHINE partners Marco Lamas and Paul Coyle. The workshop attracted 19 participants from 8 countries: Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom.  It is possible to download the detailed description of the PDW.

What are the latest SHINE recommendations?

To date SHINE has devised recommendations to higher education academics in regard to embedding the entrepreneurial mindset into the curriculum, teaching and extra-curricula activities.  Further recommendations to professional services staff and higher education leaders are under development.  The 9 recommendations to academics are as follows…

Recommendations 1-3:

Curriculum

1/9 Increase the number of learners who understand the concept and application of the entrepreneurial mindset by including a suitable learning outcome in the curriculum for every academic discipline.

2/9 Increase the number of learners by validating a curriculum, about the entrepreneurial mindset and entrepreneurship, that is inclusive and designed to meet the needs of a diverse range of learners.

3/9 Engage more learners by demonstrating how entrepreneurs and employers have contributed to the design and delivery of the curriculum, and therefore, showing how the curriculum will support a range of future career options, including employment and entrepreneurship.

Recommendations 4-6:

Teaching

4/9 Engage more learners through a pedagogy that is based on learning by doing, using practical projects that address real-world problems.

5/9 Engage more learners by facilitating risk taking and helping them to see failure as an opportunity to learn.

6/9 Engage more learners by being an entrepreneurial role model for them, demonstrating the value and application of the entrepreneurial mindset in the role of an educator (e.g., teaching, research, administration and community engagement).

Recommendations 7-9:

Extra-curricula activity 

7/9 Engage more learners by raising their awareness of the value of the entrepreneurial mindset in a range of careers including employment in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. 

8/9 Engage more learners by offering regular opportunities for them to interact with industry speakers, employers from the local ecosystem, and alumni who can act as entrepreneurial role models.

9/9 Engage more learners by helping them to understand the range of positive and negative influences on their career ambitions e.g., the value placed on entrepreneurship by the national culture.

How does SHINE gather data?

The method chosen to gather information for analysis by SHINE is a series of online webinars. To date 16 have taken place with registrations from people in 52 countries. Participants  have included: academics from a diverse range of academic disciplines, PhD researchers, professional support staff (eg enterprise projects coordinator, head of business engagement, head of the international office), entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, managers of SMEs, and incubator managers. The organisation of webinars is ongoing.

How are webinars organised?

The webinars are organised on the premise that every participant has the potential to make a valid contribution and the aim is to capture as much of this professional expertise as possible. The emphasis on the practice of entrepreneurship education and on enabling a conversation, one which allows an exchange of views between the speakers and the participants. People are encouraged to speak openly, share observations and experiences, talk about what works and also, very importantly, what doesn’t.

What topics are discussed?

Discussion topics are wide ranging. Educators can use the mindset to infuse their teaching, research, administration, and external engagement with greater innovation. For professional support staff, the mindset supports objectives related to customer service and financial sustainability. The entrepreneurial mindset enables senior staff to undertake entrepreneurial leadership, that is, leading in a way which is informed by how entrepreneurs think and act. The leadership results are greater levels of engagement and motivation amongst employees, higher levels of productivity, and greater impact in society.

What are some of the lessons?

Webinar participants have reported that the study of entrepreneurship is not confined to the business school. They cited examples of learners in applied science (architecture, business, engineering, health), social science (economics, politics, psychology, sociology), humanities (law, performing arts, philosophy, visual arts), and natural sciences (biology, chemistry, computing, physics). They were of the view that entrepreneurship educators need to be more inclusive, encouraging those with disadvantaged backgrounds, minimum financial resources or limited social networks, and those who may not see themselves as a potential entrepreneur. 

What has been the feedback?

Feedback received from participants following the webinars included: 

• Beautifully designed forum with insightful speakers 
• A great atmosphere 
• It's been excellent 
• I’m really happy to be part of this team 
• A great conversation 
• Great forum that adds value for all 
• A highly relevant, tightly structured but still dynamic conversation.

What summaries are available?

What makes the webinars distinctive is that rather than simply uploading a full video recording after a webinar, a written summary is created, recording the key points made by the speakers and participants, and including links to short video clips of the speakers. The summaries are designed to be a useful resource for higher education professionals to reflect on and improve their practice.

Images of the webinars to date are shown below. Click on any image to read the summary online.  There is also the option to download a PDF of each summary.

Who contributed the case studies?

The SHINE Project partners and members of the OECD EECOLE Network have contributed 24 articles to EXPRESS which is the online eZINE of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network. These case studies are highly relevant to SHINE and are included as helpful resources for higher education professionals. The collection of case studies is ongoing.

What lessons can we learn?

Higher reduction professionals will find a great deal of inspiration in the case studies which have been written by authors from many countries and cultures. As you read an article ask yourself do you agree or disagree with the author? What do you find inspiring about their story? What similar action could you take?

Can a case study be downloaded?

There are 15 case studies that have been written by SHINE partners and a further 9 case studies which have been contributed by members of the OECD’s EECOLE. 

All the case studies are shown below. Click on any image to read the article on screen, with an option to download a PDF.

SHINE Partners

OECD EECOLE Network

How can I develop my mindset?

In a higher education world that is increasingly complex and uncertain, the entrepreneurial mindset is a 'must have' and not just 'a nice to have’. Anyone can quickly learn to develop their entrepreneurial behaviours. You can start today. SHINE provides a range of resources to help you to develop and make good use of the entrepreneurial mindset in your higher education career

What resources can I use?

You can quickly understand what the entrepreneurial mindset is by reading our definition.  You will find inspiration in the many case studies and the summaries of the webinars. You can go deeper by using our Mindset Behaviour Analysis (MBA) tools and purchasing a workshop for your organisation.

How can I learn to take action?

Our strategy is to help you to make the best use of your existing knowledge and skills.  We do this by stimulating your self-reflection on practice and by prompting you to take entrepreneurial action. There are no right or wrong answers. Each person will choose the actions that are most suited to their own needs and higher education context.

What workshops are available?

SHINE provides a range of resources that support self reflection and professional development. Workshops are available to support a diverse range of professional disciplines at all levels in an organisation, including employees, new managers and experienced leaders.  The content is always tailored to the organisation's strategic goals and the participants' job functions. The workshops are inclusive, engaging, and impactful.  Formal input is brief and to the point. The majority of time is spent in practical exercises, group discussions and action planning. 

What is a Mindset Behaviour Analysis (MBA) tool?

MBAs are online tools that are designed to introduce the concept of the entrepreneurial mindset and its application in higher education. Each MBA stimulates a process of self-reflection, supports action planning and aids decision-making about future priorities.  An MBA can be undertaken in a few minutes and once completed you will receive an email with all the information that you have entered.  Click on any image to access that MBA.

Are the MBA tools for students or higher execution professionals?

SHINE has created 3 MBA tools that academics can use in the classroom to help students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset.  Academics, however, rarely reflect on their own entrepreneurial mindset and, therefore, SHINE has created 2 MBA tools for academics and PhD supervisors.  Finally, 2 MBA tools are designed to support HE leaders to use the entrepreneurial mindset to become better leaders and to build an entrepreneurial culture in HE.