Entrepreneurial Education and Sustainability: Opportunities and Challenges for Universities in Albania

Abstract

As new trends are emerging worldwide, including innovation breakthroughs and the need for a sustainable approach to different aspects of economy and entrepreneurship, the need for orienting society towards sustainable entrepreneurial behavior is emerging. In this context, according to the literature, entrepreneurial education can have a positive impact on fostering entrepreneurial intention in university students. The main research conducted in this study includes the identification of different opportunities and barriers that universities in Albania are facing, by conducting interviews and questionnaires with key stakeholders. The main barriers identified include the legislation gap and lack of governmental funding for entrepreneurial and sustainable courses, while the main opportunities from which universities can benefit include digital innovation and human resources skills management by providing an added value to their internal environment. The model proposed in this study to overcome barriers and benefit from opportunities includes two key stakeholders, government and universities, as the case study analysis of three universities in Albania predicts the need for more steps to be taken by these two key stakeholders included in the model, while future further research on governmental funding would be of high importance to the cost–benefit analysis of this kind of governmental support.