What the study found
The study found that UAE higher education institutions have entrepreneurship education resources, but these are not fully used because of contextual constraints. The authors describe this as a problem of "resource activation," meaning that available resources are not effectively deployed.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that understanding these constraints helps explain how institutional and environmental factors shape the use of resources in policy-driven higher education settings. They also say the findings can inform entrepreneurship education policy and institutional practice in ways that support SDG 4 and SDG 8.
What the researchers tested
The researchers conducted a qualitative multiple-case study across five UAE higher education institutions. They interviewed 32 enterprise educators and 12 senior administrators between April and May 2023, and also analyzed UAE entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprise policy documents from January 2022 to April 2023 using template analysis.
What worked and what didn't
The study identified resources that fit a VRIO framework, meaning they were valuable, rare, difficult to copy, and supported by the organization, such as incubators, labs, partnerships, and faculty expertise. However, these resources were often underused because of accreditation structures, faculty turnover in a transient labour market, uneven industry linkages, and a fast-scaling entrepreneurial ecosystem. Experiential teaching and industry engagement were also uneven, while public institutions benefited more from state-backed infrastructure than private institutions did from resource coordination.
What to keep in mind
The authors note that the evidence comes from five institutions, so it has limited generalisability. They present the study as offering analytical insights rather than broad statistical claims.
Key points
- UAE higher education institutions had entrepreneurship education resources, but they were not fully mobilized.
- The authors describe "resource activation constraints" as the mechanism limiting resource use.
- Accreditation structures, faculty turnover, and inconsistent industry linkages were linked to underuse of resources.
- Public HEIs benefited from state-backed infrastructure, while private HEIs faced greater coordination complexity.
- Experiential pedagogy and industry engagement were uneven across the cases studied.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- UAE entrepreneurship education is constrained by contextual factors
- Authors:
- Naveed Yasin, Ghulam Nabi
- Institutions:
- Manchester Metropolitan University, Technology Innovation Institute, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-22
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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