PhD Defence: Kasper Merling Arendt

In order to obtain the PhD degree, Kasper Merling Arendt has submitted his thesis entitled:

UNLEASHING ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION

DEVELOPING ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSETS, COMPETENCIES, AND LONG-TERM BEHAVIOR

Entrepreneurship education (EE) has gained global popularity, becoming a staple in university curricula and its teaching methods have become increasingly entrepreneurial, signifying a shift towards experiential learning, emphasizing action, materials, venture creation, stakeholder interaction, teamwork, and reflection - often in dedicated spaces. Despite the promise of entrepreneurial EE in cultivating entrepreneurial skills, its precise effects remain unclear. This dissertation , comprising four papers, aims to bridge this knowledge gap by investigating the short- and long-term impacts of entrepreneurial EE.

The first paper categorized teaching methods in higher education, revealing entrepreneurial education’s effectiveness in fostering long-term entrepreneurial behavior. The second paper explores how domain-specific education influences students’ beliefs and intentions to become entrepreneurs. The third paper examines the link between team formation strategies and EE, emphasizing the importance of teaching such strategies early on. Finally, the fourth paper introduces the concept of “topopraxis”, showing how entrepreneurial learning can occur in dedicated spaces.

This dissertation highlights the potential of entrepreneurial teaching methods in building entrepreneurial mindsets, competencies, and behaviour both within and beyond the EE context.

The thesis will be available from research.cbs.dk

Primary Supervisor:
Professor Bo T. Christensen
Department of Marketing
Copenhagen Business School

Secondary Supervisors:
Professor Trine Bille
Department of Business Humanities and Law
Copenhagen Business School

Senior Researcher Vibeke M. Jensen
VIVE

Assessment Committee:
Associate Professor Valentina Tartari (Chair)
Department of Strategy and Innovation
Copenhagen Business School

Professor Roger Sørheim
Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management
Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Associate Professor Suna Løwe Nielsen
The Department of Entrepreneurship and Relationship Management
University of Southern Denmark

Date: 29 January 2024
Time: 13:00-15:00
Location: Solbjerg Plads
Room: SPs07 Coloplast Aud.
Reception: FUHU

*The CBS PhD School will host a reception, which will take place immediately after the defence.