Components of Entrepreneurial Education Development in Higher Agricultural Education System

Entrepreneurship seem as the main force to enhance socio-economic and cultural development. Higher education system can contribute to entrepreneurship and enterprise development in agriculture sector both indirectly، through entrepreneurial education of agricultural students (teaching entrepreneurship to students)، and directly، by academic entrepreneurship and commercialization of university agricultural research (commercial utilization of university knowledge and technology and mobilizing university resources to enterprise development). This research aimed to identify and prioritize components and related indicators of entrepreneurship education in higher agricultural education system. In the first phase، a combination of systematic review and Delphi technique was conducted to extract and categorize indicators of entrepreneurial higher agricultural education. Using purposive sampling technique and regarding the research purpose، criteria for selection of participants as key experts were identified، as professional expert، lecturer or researcher in entrepreneurship. A total of 21 experts participated in the research. In the second phase، using AHP and TOPSIS، five categories of indicators of academic entrepreneurship were ranked، including: entrepreneurship education methods (20 items)، curriculum development for entrepreneurship education (15 items)، capacity-based content of entrepreneurship education (20 items)، research in entrepreneurship education (20 items)، professional development for entrepreneurship education (12 items)، stakeholders and target groups of entrepreneurship education (9 items)، promotion of entrepreneurial culture (in-formal entrepreneurship education) (23 items) and capacity and institutional development for entrepreneurship education (40 items).