The exploration of university ethos – neoliberalism versus entrepreneurial wisdom

The exploration of the entrepreneurial university indicates a new model for higher education institutions. Despite the overwhelming resistance against this phenomenon in terms of neoliberalism, modern universities adapt to economic forces and the function of the imminent fourth industrial revolution. The changing ethos of universities in a time of super-complexity seems to be a natural phenomenon of our time regardless of the warnings against this revolution. The protection of academic integrity and quality of tuition needs not be a trade-off when the tuition mission of universities is being enlarged in terms of a new type of knowledge management and a fresh drive for applied research and intellectual property management. Universities become less isolated as an open system with the aim of building an enterprising state in which university partners co-innovate in order to solve global economic challenges. Most universities promote intrapreneurship and types of external academic engagement with industry while others have established technology transfer organisations and industry-science links as integral to the university. This paper explores perspectives against and for the phenomenon, with strong arguments and selected case examples in support of entrepreneurial universities.