From a ‘Crazy’ Class to a Campus Craze: Entrepreneurship Takes Off in Harvard College Curriculum – The Harvard Crimson

Report on the Integration of Entrepreneurship Education at Harvard College in Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Harvard College is undergoing a significant curricular expansion to integrate entrepreneurship education, a strategic development that directly supports the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This initiative aims to equip students with practical skills, foster innovation, and promote sustainable economic growth, thereby aligning the institution’s traditional liberal arts focus with contemporary global challenges.

Enhancing Quality Education and Fostering Innovation (SDG 4 & SDG 9)

The recent surge in entrepreneurship course offerings at Harvard College marks a substantial contribution to SDG 4 (Quality Education) by providing students with relevant skills for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship. This focus on applied learning also serves SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by cultivating an environment where innovation can thrive, particularly in high-impact sectors like biotechnology and life sciences.

Curriculum Expansion and Student Engagement

The growth in entrepreneurship-focused education is evidenced by a rapidly expanding course catalog and high levels of student enrollment. This demonstrates a clear demand for education that bridges academic theory with practical application.

• Engineering Sciences 94: Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The inaugural course, launched in spring 2021, successfully demonstrated the viability of the case-method approach for undergraduates.
• ENG-SCI 30: Startups: From Idea to Exit: Enrollment has surpassed 300 students, making it one of the largest electives at the College and indicating strong student interest in acquiring entrepreneurial skills.
• Specialized Courses: New courses focusing on biotechnology and life sciences have been introduced, reflecting a commitment to fostering innovation in sectors critical to sustainable development.
• Future Offerings: A forthcoming course on startup finance, taught in partnership with industry experts from Bessemer Venture Partners, further strengthens the curriculum’s alignment with real-world economic systems.

Bridging Academic Theory with Sustainable Application

A primary objective of this educational shift is to integrate the principles of entrepreneurship within the liberal arts framework. This approach helps students connect theoretical knowledge to practical, real-world applications, empowering them to develop solutions to complex global problems. By teaching the fundamentals of innovation in fields such as life sciences, the curriculum directly supports the advancement of scientific research and technological capabilities as outlined in SDG 9.

Promoting Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8 & SDG 17)

By formalizing entrepreneurship education, Harvard College is actively contributing to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). The program is designed to promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, and innovation. This is achieved through a combination of structured learning and experiential programs, often facilitated by partnerships that exemplify SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Overcoming Institutional Barriers for Future-Focused Education

The College has successfully navigated initial administrative concerns about the “pre-professional” nature of entrepreneurship courses. This evolution reflects a broader understanding that such education is not antithetical to a liberal arts mission but is a crucial component of preparing students for a dynamic global economy. Providing accessible, low-stakes environments for students to explore industries like biotechnology encourages risk-taking and innovation, which are essential for sustainable economic development.

Experiential Learning and Partnership Models

The Lemann Program on Creativity and Entrepreneurship (LPCE) serves as a key example of a multi-stakeholder partnership that enhances the educational ecosystem. By combining academic instruction with hands-on support, the program provides a comprehensive framework for student founders.

1. Integrated Academic and Incubator Setting: The program offers studio lab courses (CE10 and CE11) that merge classroom learning with practical venture development.
2. Comprehensive Support System: Students receive access to workshops, dedicated funding, mentorship, and an accelerator to develop their ideas.
3. Collaboration with Industry Leaders: Courses are frequently co-taught by seasoned academics and prominent figures from the venture capital and startup sectors, including the co-founder of Zillow and partners from venture capital firms, strengthening the link between education and industry.

Future Outlook: Formalizing Entrepreneurship for Global Impact

The success of these initial courses has created momentum for the formal establishment of entrepreneurship as a secondary field of study at Harvard College. This step would solidify the institution’s commitment to providing a structured educational pathway that equips students with the skills and mindset necessary to address pressing global challenges. By integrating entrepreneurship into its core educational mission, Harvard is adapting higher education to meet the needs of modern society and empowering a new generation of leaders to drive progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 4: Quality Education

• The article is fundamentally about enhancing the quality and relevance of tertiary education at Harvard College. It details the introduction and expansion of entrepreneurship courses to provide students with practical, real-world skills, thereby improving the educational offerings.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• By teaching entrepreneurship, innovation, and startup finance, the university is directly fostering skills that lead to the creation of new businesses and jobs. This contributes to economic growth and provides students with pathways to productive employment and decent work beyond traditional career paths.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• The focus on courses in “startups, venture capital, and innovation,” particularly in high-tech fields like “biotechnology and life sciences,” promotes innovation and supports the development of new industries. The creation of an ecosystem that includes accelerators and funding for student founders is a direct effort to foster innovation.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

Targets under SDG 4: Quality Education

1. Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
   • The article directly addresses this by describing how the new courses “bridge that gap” between a theoretical liberal arts education and the practical skills needed for the job market. The entire initiative is designed to equip students with skills for entrepreneurship.
2. Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.
   • The article highlights the expansion of a new type of quality tertiary education (entrepreneurship) within the university, making it more accessible to undergraduate students. The high enrollment numbers show that a previously unavailable curriculum is now being accessed by a large number of students.

Targets under SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

1. Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.
   • Harvard’s policy shift to embrace and expand entrepreneurship education, despite initial hesitation about it being “too pre-professional,” represents a development-oriented policy within an educational institution that directly supports entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation among its students.
2. Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation.
   • The introduction of courses focusing on “biotechnology and life sciences” entrepreneurship encourages innovation in a high-value, technology-driven sector, which is a key driver of economic productivity.

Targets under SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

1. Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors…encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers.
   • The article describes courses that connect “classroom ideas to real-world application,” specifically in life sciences and biotechnology. Programs like the Lemann Program, which provide an “accelerator for student founders,” directly encourage the translation of academic knowledge into innovative enterprises, thereby enhancing technological capabilities.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

Indicators for SDG 4 (Quality Education)

• Number of students enrolled in entrepreneurship courses: The article explicitly mentions that the course “Startups: From Idea to Exit” has an “enrollment of more than 300 students,” making it “one of the largest electives at the College.” This number serves as a direct indicator of the increase in youth acquiring relevant skills for entrepreneurship.
• Number and variety of entrepreneurship courses offered: The article states that the College now offers “half a dozen classes on startups, venture capital, and innovation,” with new courses in “biotechnology and life sciences” and “startup finance” being added. This growth in course offerings is an indicator of the institution’s commitment to providing this type of education.

Indicators for SDG 8 & 9 (Decent Work, Innovation)

• Institutional support for student-led enterprises: The article implies progress through the description of the Lemann Program on Creativity and Entrepreneurship, which “provides workshops, funding, and an accelerator for student founders.” The existence and activities of such a program are an indicator of the support system being built to foster new businesses and innovation.

Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: thecrimson.com