Exploring the Role of Higher Education Institutions in Promoting Entrepreneurial Activities: A Qualitative Study of Universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan (Perspectives in Social Sciences)

Summary

• The study analyzes 10 voluntary open-ended qualitative questionnaire responses from stakeholders across 7 universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.p.1
• The 10 respondents consisted of 5 faculty members or entrepreneurship educators, 2 university administrators or ORIC personnel, 2 researchers or PhD scholars, and 1 student or graduate entrepreneur.p.1
• Four of the responses originated from Sarhad University, while 1 response was gathered from each of the other six institutions.p.6
• Experience levels among respondents included 1 participant with 1-year experience and 5 participants with 6-10 years' experience.p.6
• The thematic analysis identified 7 core themes, following Braun and Clarke's 6 phases of qualitative data analysis.p.1

Key insights

1. Higher education institutions foster entrepreneurship primarily through traditional courses, workshops, seminars, practical projects, exhibitions, and university-industry partnerships.p.1
2. Primary operational barriers include funding constraints, inadequate incubation space, limited applied learning, and inconsistent execution of industry collaborations.p.1
3. Formal memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between universities and industry frequently fail to translate into active, reciprocal joint activities.p.9
4. Offices of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORICs) act as primary guidance hubs, though support levels vary across institutions.p.9
5. Although institutions offer skill development activities, studies lack Longitudinal tracking or objective measurement of actual competency gains over time.p.9
6. Entrepreneurial ecosystems in regional universities lack a clear, structured pathway connecting early idea generation to market-ready, funded startups.p.9