Towards Developing a Pro-Entrepreneurship Internship Program: An Appraisal of Southern University Model
Abstract
The main purpose of this research is to identify the problems of traditional internship programs conducted at tertiary level educational institutions and propose a practical model of the internship entrepreneurship program. The qualitative research method has been used here to explore the existing problems of traditional internship programs, and rationalize the necessity of entrepreneurship internship program of Southern University Bangladesh (SUB)as an alternative to the traditional internship program. In this regard, three focused group discussions were conducted with three main stakeholders, namely the faculty guide, the internship supervisors of the host company, and the student interns. The study discovered different weaknesses of traditional internship programs conducted in the university, including the limited scope of internship, noncooperation by the host companies, and the limitation of time. However, all the stakeholders are on the same page regarding the incapacity of traditional internship programs in developing the entrepreneurial spirit and aspiration among the interns. The study proposed the SUB model as an independent way to conduct an entrepreneurship-friendly internship program at tertiary level education, which may help the concerned to overcome the challenges of a traditional internship program. This research may contribute to the body of knowledge of higher education management and may support academia to develop an entrepreneurship development centered curriculum.
Copyright (c) 2020 Kazi Nazmul Huda
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