Abstract:

In a globalized business word, where the labor market has to quickly adapt to digital transformations, developing and entrepreneurial mindset becomes an imperious need in education.

Therefore, the development of a competitive business ecosystem, focused on entrepreneurship, is also one of the main desiderata of the European Union.

Various trends are observed at European level regarding entrepreneurial education:
1. A percentage of 20% of young Europeans who participate in entrepreneurship education programs subsequently launch their own company. At the same time, participation in entrepreneurship education increases the probability of engaging in entrepreneurial activities later in life by 35%.
2. At European level, the propensity of entrepreneurship, especially innovation-based entrepreneurship, remains low.
3. Disparities exist between the different EU countries in terms of the perceived importance of entrepreneurial education. In Romania, less than 10% of those who started and developed a business have a theoretical basis in this regard, compared to an European average of 30%.
4. Participation in entrepreneurial education in the EU countries is mostly optional, very few Member States including it as a compulsory subject.

The article will present latest trends in entrepreneurial education across EU Member States, as well as opportunities and threats existing in this field. Furthermore, the article will investigate the changes that occurred in terms of student engagement for training related to the development of an entrepreneurial mindset, preferred topics and channels used for accessing training, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A case study based on the activity of the Students’ Entrepreneurial Association of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca will be presented.

Keywords:

Entrepreneurship, education, universities, pandemic.