File photo used for representation only
Doha: The GUESSS 2021 National Report of Qatar, authored by Allan-Villegas Mateos, HEC Paris in Qatar Research Associate Allan-Villegas Mateos; Professor Mahmoud M Abdellatif, Director of the Centre of Entrepreneurship at Qatar University and Mokter Hossain, Assistant Professor at Qatar University, revealed that Qatar is above the regional and global average in its share of active and nascent entrepreneurs.
The report shows that becoming an entrepreneur is a preferred career path for students immediately after graduating even though 87% of the students surveyed are not being offered a compulsory entrepreneurship course, and 37% have not attended a related programme.
The report offers insights into university students’ entrepreneurial career intentions and underlying motivations, comparing students in Qatar with those in 58 countries.
It is aimed at understanding the role of universities in fostering entrepreneurial activities in Qatar’s national entrepreneurial ecosystem, as the country transitions to a knowledge-based economy.
However, the report reveals that students significantly lose their entrepreneurial intent within five years of graduation despite 89% of them being aware of business incubation and accelerator programmes.
The report suggests three reasons why students are not pursuing entrepreneurial careers and they are the absence of a strong entrepreneurship culture among younger generations; motivations and attitudes being influenced by family expectations and backgrounds; and alignment with proven theory that entrepreneurship is a process of developing the appropriate mindset, skills, and leadership and empowerment through curricular and co-curricular programmes.
