Encouraging BoP Entrepreneurs through Innovative Pedagogy in Higher Education

The problems:

• High unemployment among university graduates

• Poverty-related issues:– URBAN: healthcare, poor-quality housing, poor

sanitation, few jobs– RURAL: low productivity on small-holder farms,

limited/no access to electricity/clean water/healthcare

One solution:

• HE programmes supporting youth-led entrepreneurship tackling BoP markets– Harness energy and imagination of young people

to attack local problems– Create employment

• How to give young people the skills needed:– Entrepreneurship education using innovative

pedagogical methods

Innovative vs. traditional pedagogy?

Traditional

• Classroom- and textbook-based

• One-to-many; teacher-centric

• One ‘right’ solution; ‘fact-based’

• Disconnected from practical realities

• Theory-centric

Innovative

• Mixed environments• Sometimes learner-

centric• Many possible answers• Based in practice, field-

work• Theories applied to real-

live problems• Learning through play

Innovative vs. traditional pedagogy?

Traditional

• Classroom- and textbook-based

• One-to-many; teacher-centric

• One ‘right’ solution; ‘fact-based’

• Disconnected from practical realities

• Theory-centric

Innovative

• Mixed environments• Sometimes learner-

centric• Many possible answers• Based in practice, field-

work• Theories applied to real-

live problems

Both models can be productively applied

Challenges to HE pedagogy on entrepreneurship in Afghanistan and Nepal• Lack of entrepreneurial

values (prefer public sector/job security)

• How to reach/encourage female students

• Lack of ‘basic skills’

• Bringing theory to life

• Political instablity/security problems

Providing young people with role models

Women-only working groups

Give students opportunities to run ‘safe’ businesses (e.g. school cafeteria)

Case studies of local successful entrepreneurs (with face-to-face interaction)

Some examples of innovative entrepreneurship pedagogy

• Singing and dancing• Shocking• Cooking events (women)• Working on Live problem of an entrepreneur• ‘Safe’ Cases