Entrepreneurship Education and Community Outreach at the University of Botswana

Abstract

As in other business education programmes elsewhere, the University
of Botswana integrates entrepreneurship into its business education
programme. It incorporates experiential learning and carefully
arranged student placement in industries and workplaces. This practice
differs from the traditional business education programme as it
involves a variety of learning activities and experiences which reflect
the spirit and principle of entrepreneurship (Solomon et al. 2002;
Wilson, Llewellyn, and Robertson 2003). This article is based on a
study which aimed to assess and evaluate the benefits of the University
of Botswana Business Clinic (UBBC) to students, and the outcomes of
its community outreach to the prospective and new enterprise owners.
The findings suggest that the Clinic’s activities included value-adding
experiential learning, which enhanced the students’ entrepreneurial
education experience, and in the process, extended business support to
the local community. However, there was lack of continuity and
efficient coordination of these activities, which hampered the Clinic
from realising its full potential to develop entrepreneurial skills,
knowledge and values in the students and the local community. In
spite of this shortcoming, the UBBC has a potential role to play in
facilitating and coordinating the integration of entrepreneurship
education into the University’s programmes and disciplines, as part of
the University’s aim to be an enterprising institution for national
benefit (University of Botswana 2004,5).