The Contribution of Higher Education to Strengthening Entrepreneurial Mindset among Young People in Morocco: A Literature Review and Situational Analysis

Abstract

In a context marked by persistent graduate unemployment, entrepreneurship is increasingly viewed as a strategic lever of higher education policies. However, in Morocco, this orientation remains constrained by structural challenges, including the predominance of necessity-driven entrepreneurship, the scale of the informal sector, and significant territorial disparities, which limit the effectiveness of existing educational initiatives.

Although international literature highlights the central role of entrepreneurial education in shaping entrepreneurial intentions and competencies, analyses that incorporate the institutional and socio-economic specificities of the Moroccan context remain limited.

The objective of this study is to examine the role of higher education institutions in fostering students’ entrepreneurial mindset by analyzing how acquired skills, attitudes, and perceptions influence the transition from entrepreneurial intention to action. The methodological approach is based on a narrative review of international literature, complemented by the analysis of recent institutional data related to the Moroccan entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The contribution of this research lies in the development of an integrative framework linking education, entrepreneurial intention, and entrepreneurial implementation, while highlighting the structural constraints specific to Morocco. The findings emphasize the importance of active learning pedagogies, support mechanisms, and partnerships with the economic ecosystem. Finally, the study proposes policy-oriented recommendations aimed at strengthening the transversal integration of entrepreneurship into university curricula and improving the coherence of actions in support of sustainable and inclusive entrepreneurship.

Classification JEL: L26, I20.

Paper type: Theoretical Research