Engineer-entrepreneur: Combining technical knowledge with entrepreneurship education-The Israeli case study

This paper discusses a novel approach taken by the largest engineering college in Israel, Shamoon College of Engineering (SCE), to enhance its students' entrepreneurial intentions and activities. We describe the Engineer-Entrepreneur Program in detail and discuss the contribution of various program modules (the college, students, community, industry and the next generation involvement) to the total entrepreneurial approach of engineering in institutions of higher education. The program has been extremely well received both at the college and beyond, with the government granting it massive support. We found that the entrepreneurial intentions of the students participating in the program were enhanced compare with those of students who didn't participate in the program. Moreover, we found a positive effect of the program on the general grades' average and self-esteem perceptions of the participating students. Despite its uniqueness, the program is applicable in any academic engineering institute, especially in areas with features similar to Israel's.