Entrepreneurship ecosystem model to promote entrepreneurship among Malaysian graduates: a conceptual paper

Unemployment among recent Malaysian university graduates has gained attention, fuelled by a growing alumni population, sparking concerns about employability. In response, the government is strategically promoting entrepreneurship to shift students from job seekers to job creators, aligned with the goal of a knowledge-driven economy and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 “Quality Education” and 8 “Decent Work And Economic Growth" strive to ensure inclusive and quality education for everyone, promote lifelong learning, foster inclusive, long-term economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for everybody. This study focuses on enhancing graduates' employability and income generation, aiming to lower unemployment and boost GDP. The government's efforts have led to supportive ecosystems and educational programs fostering entrepreneurship. Encouraging students to embrace entrepreneurship addresses unemployment, spurs job creation, and fuels economic growth, supported by entrepreneurship education. The government's initiatives will reshape Malaysia's economy by addressing graduate unemployment through entrepreneurship. Despite producing 51,000 graduates annually, nearly 60% remain unemployed after a year. Establishing an entrepreneurial ecosystem aims to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship within institutions. This research aims to develop an integrated model for studying entrepreneurial ecosystems in Higher Educational Institutions, enhancing student entrepreneurship, and encouraging a mindset shift towards entrepreneurship. Using an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach, the study focuses on three MOHE Entrepreneurial Award (MEA)-winning public universities. Findings are expected to contribute to understanding university entrepreneurial ecosystems and education. This approach aligns with the national entrepreneurship policy, viewing universities as "incubators" fostering more students and graduates to become entrepreneurs and job creators.