From Support to Co-Ownership: Rethinking the Role of Universities in Entrepreneurship

A recent post by Neelesh Bhatia got me reflecting again on something I’ve believed for a long time, but I was told it was too radical :

Universities must evolve from being supporters of entrepreneurship to becoming co-owners of innovation.

Over time, universities offer encouragement, exposure, or short-term programming—I am equally guilty. While these efforts are helpful, they’re no longer enough, especially in places like Nigeria and other parts of the Global South, where youth populations are large, talent is abundant, and but facing youth unemployment crisis.

What Could This Look Like?

Think of a student-run tuck shop (co-owned). A fintech idea developed in a dorm room. A product line co-designed with a corporate partner.

Now imagine this:

• The university has a revenue-sharing model
• It actively promotes these ventures as part of its innovation pipeline
• Alumni, government, and guests are drawn into the ecosystem—not as spectators, but as participants

This isn’t just theory; it’s a viable model for transforming the role of higher education in economic development.

But What About IP?

That’s a fair and important question. And the truth is, I don’t have all the answers.

But here’s a starting point:

• Some models could involve joint ownership of IP between students and the university
• Others might use equity, royalties, or time-bound rights, depending on the type of venture
• The goal is to ensure protection, shared incentives, and fairness, not control

This can be built flexibly. What matters most is that universities are no longer passive; they’re invested, aligned, and co-creating.

What About University Structures?

Academic institutions have long-standing priorities: research, teaching, rankings, publications. So how does this fit in?

We don’t need to overhaul everything.

Just like corporations have innovation labs, universities can build dedicated arms that test entrepreneurial models. These arms could:

• Pilot 5–10 student ventures annually for this purpose
• Partner with faculty, but also bring in practitioners
• Use real-world metrics: traction, validation, revenue not just theoretical potential

This way, entrepreneurship isn’t a side hustle in academia it becomes one powerful outcome of the university’s mission.

Why This Matters Now

At one point, even teaching entrepreneurship in universities was controversial. Many academics believed it had no place in the classroom.

But the world has changed. We are faced with different kind of challenges

Young people today are asking for more after investing heavily . They want:

• Education that equips them for the real world
• Skills to build, not just observe
• The mindset to find opportunity in chaos

Not every student will build a unicorn. That’s okay. But every student can become a more entrepreneurial leader and that should be part of the value proposition of higher education.

This Isn’t About Becoming VCs

Let me be clear: this isn’t about universities acting like venture capitalists.

It’s about:

• Having skin in the game
• Structuring incentives that align with student and institutional success
• Rethinking the university’s role in building the next generation of founders, innovators, and intrapreneurs

We don’t need to discard traditional academic goals. We just need to expand the outcomes we value and test bold new models along the way.

Where Do We Go From Here?

We don’t have to wait for perfection to begin.

Start with a pilot. Test five ideas. Create a sandbox. Learn. Adjust. The same way a startup does customer discovery, universities can discover their entrepreneurial role ; through action.

Thanks again to Neelish Bhatia for sparking this reflection.

If you’ve seen models that work or are experimenting in your context, I’d love to hear from you. This conversation is just beginning.

Let’s build what’s next together.