Author(s): Andreas Kuckertz
Entrepreneurship education is clearly on an impressive success trajectory, but its expansion has not been without criticism. Hence, in this essay I will explore and argue for my personal view on the purpose of entrepreneurship education. I will contrast the usual argument for entrepreneurship education, namely that it should be an integral part of higher education institutions’ (HEIs) third mission offering graduates an additional, promising career path, with the critique that at its essence entrepreneurship education can simply be neoliberal ideology threatening the promise of higher education. Joining these two perspectives leads me to propose a higher-order purpose of entrepreneurship education that would free it to deliver the classic ideals of Humboldt’s university, an institution educating self-starting responsible individuals and citizens.