Investors call on universities to hone entrepreneurial skill in students

Dubai: Regional educators have been urged to turn their university career centres into springboards for aspiring entrepreneurs by helping impart the skill sets necessary for business success at a young age.

This advice came from regional investors at the first roundtable discussion on entrepreneurship education in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena). Held in Abu Dhabi last week, the discussion was hosted by the Higher Colleges of Technology and the Stanford University Technology Ventures Programme.

"Educators need to take a look within the career centres to see how they can help entrepreneurial students understand where their passions lie," said Dr Hala Al Sokari, adviser to the CEO of Khalifa Fund for Enterprises Development. "They need to help students find the opportunities out there and then help them develop the relevant skills and attributes."

Experience is vital

During the panel discussion ‘What investors want from our graduates', Saqib Rashid, Principal of Riyada Enterprise Development, cautioned that fresh graduates should not be encouraged into entrepreneurial roles right away.

He said the ideal way of teaching entrepreneurship in education was to encourage students to gain some professional experience before they ventured out on their own.

"I think that's one of the key things we need to encourage in the young people in terms of growing entrepreneurship and doing it responsibly here in the region," said Rashid.

"Students need to be encouraged to get that early-on experience, whether it's encouraging them to go into multinationals to get that training or to go wherever."