Entrepreneurship education in China: a case study approach

This paper aims to provide an overview of entrepreneurship education in the wider context of the Chinese educational system in transition and raise pertinent questions regarding its direction and future development.

A case study approach is used to provide an in‐depth analysis of the challenges and outcomes of the “Know about your business” (KAB) programme initiated by the International Labour Organisation and piloted at the China Youth University for Political Sciences in Beijing.

The evaluation of the KAB pilot programme showed that it proved largely successful: 43.9 per cent of participating students were very satisfied with it, 52.6 per cent claimed to be satisfied and only 3.5 per cent were not content with it. Student feedback highlighted a small number of problems with this programme, including issues relating to a lack of market research knowledge, limited contact hours, a shortage of business plan models and difficulties in managing related team work.

The results of the pilot programme could be used to further improve and develop entrepreneurship education in general and the KAB programme in particular, with a view to implement it more widely in selective business schools across China.