The quest for entrepreneurial university in Taiwan : policies and practices in industry-academy cooperation

In responding to the changing needs of social and economic development, universities have been encouraged to be more responsive and innovative for the past two decades. Burton Clark (1998; 2004) began to examine university behavior and analyze why some are more successful than others in adapting to changing environments. The key factor in raising university performance lies at the core spirit of “entrepreneurship.” If universities are more entrepreneurial, it means institutions are more likely to meet new social and economic demands through innovative measures (Sporn 1999). It is not just the institution that needs entrepreneurship but individuals also require such capacity. According to UNESCO (n.d.), “Fostering entrepreneurship attitudes and skills in secondary schools raises awareness of career opportunities, as well as of ways young people can contribute to the development and prosperity of their communities.” In other words, having such skills or capacity can create more employment opportunities and even help in driving the advancement of local communities. Due to such wide concerns a wide range of governments in Asia are also keen to promote the concept of “entrepreneurial university” to bring greater advantages to the whole society (Wong 2011).