HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (HEI) LEARNING HUBS: A CASE STUDY ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THAILAND AND MYANMAR

Despite continuous efforts in various economies, amongst others in South-East Asia, the full potential of social entrepreneurship (SE) is difficult to realize (STEPup project comparative study findings). Challenges that need to be addressed include the lack of skilled employees, business understa...

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Main Authors: Liliya Terzieva, Lisa Mahajan, Monique Schulte
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Zagreb, Croatia / Faculty of Economics and Business / Department of Trade and International Business 2023-01-01
Series:Poslovna Izvrsnost
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/439334
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author Liliya Terzieva
Lisa Mahajan
Monique Schulte
author_facet Liliya Terzieva
Lisa Mahajan
Monique Schulte
author_sort Liliya Terzieva
collection DOAJ
description Despite continuous efforts in various economies, amongst others in South-East Asia, the full potential of social entrepreneurship (SE) is difficult to realize (STEPup project comparative study findings). Challenges that need to be addressed include the lack of skilled employees, business understanding among founders, access to funding and infrastructure and a lack of social impact measurement. Higher education institutions (HEI) are often challenged with limited engagement, also in terms of student support of early entrepreneurial activity. This disbalance has also been observed in Thailand and Myanmar, with the Erasmus+ funded project STEPup (2020-2023) seeing an opportunity to create and strengthen innovative social entrepreneurship practices for disruptive business settings in the two participating countries. Research based on the review of scientific articles, the conduct of focus groups (n= 42 from 38 different external stakeholder organizations) and numerous interviews and creative sessions with stakeholders of the social entrepreneurship domain also revealed the necessity to act in a self-organizing and organic SE support system. This paper aims to present recommendations and strategic guidelines to increase access and opportunity for existing social enterprises and social entrepreneurs who are planning to create and sustain an SE ecosystem through the framework, support, expertise and structure of existing higher education institutions. In addition, Higher Education Institutions in Myanmar and Thailand would serve as a good practice case on how to design and develop resource hubs for social enterprise practitioners and engage stakeholders from all sectors to tackle social issues and promote awareness of the social enterprise sector’s potential.
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spelling doaj.art-3ecf3ec245bd4b53aa1e05b3afef2a6b2024-04-15T18:39:59ZengUniversity of Zagreb, Croatia / Faculty of Economics and Business / Department of Trade and International BusinessPoslovna Izvrsnost1846-33551848-90602023-01-01171839710.22598/pi-be/2023.17.1.83HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (HEI) LEARNING HUBS: A CASE STUDY ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THAILAND AND MYANMARLiliya Terzieva0Lisa Mahajan1Monique Schulte2The Hague University of Applied Sciences, The NetherlandsFH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, AustriaBreda University of Applied Sciences, The NetherlandsDespite continuous efforts in various economies, amongst others in South-East Asia, the full potential of social entrepreneurship (SE) is difficult to realize (STEPup project comparative study findings). Challenges that need to be addressed include the lack of skilled employees, business understanding among founders, access to funding and infrastructure and a lack of social impact measurement. Higher education institutions (HEI) are often challenged with limited engagement, also in terms of student support of early entrepreneurial activity. This disbalance has also been observed in Thailand and Myanmar, with the Erasmus+ funded project STEPup (2020-2023) seeing an opportunity to create and strengthen innovative social entrepreneurship practices for disruptive business settings in the two participating countries. Research based on the review of scientific articles, the conduct of focus groups (n= 42 from 38 different external stakeholder organizations) and numerous interviews and creative sessions with stakeholders of the social entrepreneurship domain also revealed the necessity to act in a self-organizing and organic SE support system. This paper aims to present recommendations and strategic guidelines to increase access and opportunity for existing social enterprises and social entrepreneurs who are planning to create and sustain an SE ecosystem through the framework, support, expertise and structure of existing higher education institutions. In addition, Higher Education Institutions in Myanmar and Thailand would serve as a good practice case on how to design and develop resource hubs for social enterprise practitioners and engage stakeholders from all sectors to tackle social issues and promote awareness of the social enterprise sector’s potential.https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/439334social entrepreneurshipcommunity developmentstudent-centred activities.
spellingShingle Liliya Terzieva
Lisa Mahajan
Monique Schulte
HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (HEI) LEARNING HUBS: A CASE STUDY ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THAILAND AND MYANMAR
Poslovna Izvrsnost
social entrepreneurship
community development
student-centred activities.
title HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (HEI) LEARNING HUBS: A CASE STUDY ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THAILAND AND MYANMAR
title_full HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (HEI) LEARNING HUBS: A CASE STUDY ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THAILAND AND MYANMAR
title_fullStr HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (HEI) LEARNING HUBS: A CASE STUDY ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THAILAND AND MYANMAR
title_full_unstemmed HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (HEI) LEARNING HUBS: A CASE STUDY ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THAILAND AND MYANMAR
title_short HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (HEI) LEARNING HUBS: A CASE STUDY ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THAILAND AND MYANMAR
title_sort higher education institution hei learning hubs a case study on social entrepreneurship in thailand and myanmar
topic social entrepreneurship
community development
student-centred activities.
url https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/439334
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AT lisamahajan highereducationinstitutionheilearninghubsacasestudyonsocialentrepreneurshipinthailandandmyanmar
AT moniqueschulte highereducationinstitutionheilearninghubsacasestudyonsocialentrepreneurshipinthailandandmyanmar