Introduction: From diversity of interpretations to sustainability of institutions

Abstract

The introductory chapter frames the conceptual and empirical terrain of academic entrepreneurship that is discussed in this book and identifies five perspectives to it: (1) higher education policy and administration on the move; (2) entrepreneurial universities claiming their future; (3) the student experience of academic entrepreneurship; (4) academics becoming entrepreneurs; and (5) future movements. By asking ‘How is academic entrepreneurship narrated in this book?' the chapter outlines the rich landscape of academic entrepreneurship as a socially constructed process emerging from the multiple interpretations by different actors in different contexts. This offers the possibility of understanding the movements of academic entrepreneurship within the university ecosystem at the crossroads of social, economic, and political discourses and practices. The introduction closes by offering some questions to stimulate future conversations about research on academic entrepreneurship.