Academic Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Higher Education: An Integrated Framework for Malaysian Universities

This paper discusses the phenomenon of academic entrepreneurship and its significance to university education, societal development and economic development. It analyzes and presents academic entrepreneurship as a leadership process of creating value through acts of organizational creation, renewal or innovation within or outside the university that results in research and technology commercialization. The study identifies the complexities involved in nurturing the entrepreneurial academic paradigm and the impact it has on the leadership role of the university. Academic entrepreneurship is a new phenomenon in Malaysia and the focus has very much been placed on research and technology commercialization. The evolution of academic entrepreneurship in the Malaysian context is examined. From these discussions, the paper offers an integrated framework of a university’s entrepreneurial system which takes into account the role and linkages between the government, university and industry. Last but not least, it discusses issues, challenges, the way forward for Malaysian universities and implication for academic entrepreneurship research. Key-Words: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Technology Commercialization, Framework, Academic