PurposeFull curriculum-based Venture Creation Programmes (VCPs) are a relatively new and potentially underutilised form of degree programme in which students explore the on-going creation of a new venture as a primary aspect of their formal study. The highly experiential nature of VCPs has the potential to meet the calls of researchers and policymakers for students to actively participate in and control their own learning for enterprise and entrepreneurship. However, research into VCP's remains limited which constrains their development. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to review the literature surrounding VCPs in order to investigate the current research and explore areas for further study to support the development of these courses.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review was conducted in order to find and explore literature around VCPs, defined here as credit-bearing whole programmes of study, focused on learning for entrepreneurship, with the creation of a real-life business venture as an integral part of the learning experience, on which completion of the programme is dependent. First, academic literature published in peer-reviewed journals was collected through a systematic search. In parallel with this, academic colleagues working in this space were contacted for recommendations of literature and for information on work in progress. This led to additional emerging work being discovered that is primarily being presented at conferences. A further general Internet search was conducted to find non-academic information, reports and literature relating to VCP practice.FindingsFour themes were explored covering the entire student journey (1) application and recruitment; (2) teaching, learning and assessment; (3) development of entrepreneurial identity; and (4) entrepreneurial outcomes. The literature presented in the paper suggests that VCPs can meet calls to provide an innovative curriculum based on experiential learning principles. VCPs can provide a positive learning experience in addition to leading to actual business start-up during the degree or after graduation.Originality/valueThis paper presents a comprehensive review of literature focusing on VCPs. Recommendations are made for further research. A key question remains: if full VCPs have the potential to enhance learning, produce positive business outcomes, and address policy calls, why are there so few known VCPs at universities around the world?

This article examines entrepreneurial identity in both the United Kingdom and China through the lenses of identity theory and social identity theory to develop a deeper and more holistic understanding of the concept of entrepreneurial identity. By examining the entrepreneur as both a role and an identity, this article explores how an entrepreneur views the role of the entrepreneur, the counter-roles to the entrepreneur, and the “self-as-entrepreneur” and seeks to understand how entrepreneurs construct their identity as an entrepreneur. By looking at the role identity in different social constructs, a more nuanced view of entrepreneurial identity can be uncovered for entrepreneurs in both the United Kingdom and China. The study argues that entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom use counter-roles to bridge the disconnect between their understanding of the entrepreneur-as-role and the self-as-entrepreneur, whereas entrepreneurs in China have less conflict reconciling the two and use the counter-role as a way to paint entrepreneurship as a “calling,” justifying their abandonment of other identities.

This paper explores the authors' efforts to design and deliver a Venture Creation Programme (VCP) at the University of Worcester between 2015 and 2017. The purpose of the paper is to present critical insights into the manner in which learning can be facilitated through VCPs using our own experiences as an example. The paper begins with a discussion of the authors' methodology before moving to a literature review addressing VCP's and related elements of entrepreneurial education best practice. It then shifts to a critical discussion of the authors' experiences based on insights, student and staff evaluations, and course data. In the process of conducting this review the authors found that good pedagogical design, in a VCP context, needs to focus on ensuring that academics promote constructive alignment between the curriculum that is 'taught', the teaching methods used, the learning environment chosen and the assessment procedures adopted. Only by minimising inconsistencies which link these factors will students' experiences of venture creation be fully engaging, promoting more effective, experiential and entrepreneurial development. This paper provides educators with an original and experiential insight into the design of a VCP programme and the pedagogical developments required for their successful implementation. There is considerable value herein for higher education institutions which want to design a new VCP, especially with reference to the curriculum design, experiential learning activities, types and methods of assessments and online learning environments for entrepreneurial students.

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The purpose of this paper is to investigate data relating to the outcomes of enterprise and entrepreneurship education (EEE) activity in UK higher education institutions (HEIs). This is achieved via the use of data obtained from the Research Excellence Framework (REF), the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF), the Knowledge Excellence Framework (KEF) and the Higher Education Business and Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey. Overall, the analysis suggests, powerfully, that EEE impacts research, teaching and knowledge exchange in a variety of ways. Firstly, it shows that EEE, in terms of the REF, may be up to 46 times more impactful than other management disciplines. Secondly, with regard to TEF submissions, it highlights a positive relationship between the use of the EEE terms and the award level achieved. Finally, research also demonstrates a link between membership of certain HEI mission groups and improved KEF metrics when compared to the sector averages. There is a clear need to research how to develop successful EEE interventions and demonstrate their impact on the graduate, the university ecosystem and the wider economy. These data sources and methodology have not previously been used to develop a narrative for EEE across a university sector in the UK.