Canadian University Dubai researchers awarded best paper at international entrepreneurship conference
Empirical study of entrepreneurship in the creative industries wins first place
Researchers from Canadian University Dubai (CUD) have received the Best Empirical Paper Award at the 1st International Conference on Management, Economics and Social Science (ICMESS, 2023). Head of Creative Industries, Professor Naveed Yasin, and Teaching Assistant in the Department of Creative Industries, Gayatri Nair, were awarded the accolade for their paper “Am I also an entrepreneur? Determining the Efficacy of Enterprise Education in the Creative Industries: A Canadian University Dubai Perspective”.
ICMESS 2023 was hosted by the Maharaja Ranjit Singh University, India and the University of Tehran, Iran. Professor Yasin and Nair were awarded the Best Empirical Paper Award in the Entrepreneurship track for their study's originality and academic contribution to the field of entrepreneurship education. Nair presented the paper at the international conference, marking her first such research presentation.
Using mixed methods, the study explored the enterprising characteristics of Creative Industries (CI) students at Canadian University Dubai. The results indicated enhancements in all key enterprising characteristics among the total sample population following their involvement in enterprise education. The research also demonstrated specific variations linked to the specializations of the pathways, which included students from Media Business, Interior Design, and Communications.
The novelty of the study is inherent in its concentration on atypical business student groups, the use of an innovative framework (PERI) for the qualitative data analysis, and the empirical investigation of an underexplored researched area and geographical context. It is anticipated that the research will have implications for various groups such as academics, industry practitioners of CI, academic researchers, and stakeholders in the CI ecosystem.
Focusing on the critical theme of entrepreneurship, the study contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number nine, which concentrates on industry, innovation, and infrastructure. This Sustainable Development Goal emphasizes the importance of building resilient infrastructures, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation.
According to Prof. Yasin, the motivation behind this study is clear. He said, “As educators in the business world, we've long recognized the significance of delivering entrepreneurial education, skills and knowledge in higher education institutions, to cultivate a new generation of entrepreneurial graduates for the rapidly evolving Creative Industries. However, it's equally crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of such knowledge by examining how students apply their learning in real-world scenarios.”
Gayatri Nair, a graduate of CUD, joined the Department of Creative Industries in 2022 as a Full-Time Teaching Assistant in Entrepreneurship. She has published several papers with Professor Yasin to date. Speaking about her journey, Nair said, “The valuable experience I have learnt under the guidance of Prof. Naveed has expanded my knowledge significantly. I am proud to have become a published author and grateful to have chosen Canadian University Dubai as my academic institution, which fosters a culture of excellence in applied research, teaching, and enterprise excellence.”
Following this achievement, the authors plan to further advance this study for publication in a Scopus-indexed journal and utilize the insights gained to enhance the pedagogy of entrepreneurship education.