The development of social entrepreneurship education in Japan

Abstract

Though the importance of social entrepreneurship (SE) and its education are widely recognised by practitioners in prior literature, SE pedagogy in universities and graduate schools, especially in Japan, has not been well researched. Using the syllabi of 457 courses at 91 Japanese universities, the authors found the following: first, courses are mainly provided in Economics and Management, followed by Sociology, Basic Liberal Arts, Political sciences, Community and Region Studies, Engineering, Design and Art, and Social Welfare departments. Second, teaching methods primarily included theory and history, followed by case studies, group work and discussion, presentations, guest speakers, field work, analytical methodology, and making business plans. Third, courses aimed at understanding SE were followed by nurturing the students’ basic academic skills, sense of entrepreneurship, knowledge about enterprises, and management of social enterprises.