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E-STAR Academy

Picture Credit Pixabay.


E-STAR Accreditation


E-STAR is an international accreditation that rewards Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) for their commitment to using the Entrepreneurial mindset as the catalyst for higher quality and continuous improvement in 4 Accreditation Standards:


       Student education and career planning,


       Transfer of knowledge to business,


       Academic innovation and development, and


       Regional impact (economic, social & cultural).


The E-STAR awarding body is the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network, a community of practice with members in 107 countries.  


A defintion of the entrepreneurial mindset


The Entrepreneurial Mindset Network has created an easy to understand, common sense and practical definition of the entrepreneurial mindset.


What makes the definition distinctive is that it is quick to understand, easy to remember and of practical use in a diverse range of contexts.


As an aid to memory, 1 essential entrepreneurial behaviour is allocated to each of the 7 letters in the word MINDSET.


Therefore, the 7 entrepreneurial behaviours are: [M]eet real needs, [I]nnovate, [N]ever act unethically, [D]are to take risks, [S]ell, [E]xercise for productivity and [T]ake the initiative.


This definition of the entrepreneurial mindset, with a brief description of each of the 7 essential entrepreneurial behaviours, is available for [DOWNLOAD] in the following 16 languages:


[عربي] [中国人] [Deutschen] [ελληνικά] [English] [Español] [français] [italiano] [Nederlands] [Português] [ਪੰਜਾਬੀ] [română] [Русский] [Српски] [shqip] [Türkçe]


ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS

  

Management & Science University awarded

E-STAR Accreditation


Management & Science University, located in Shah Alam the state capital of Selangor in Malaysia, has become the first Higher Education Institution in the world to be awarded E-STAR Accreditation.  The award was confirmed in a meeting in May 2023 between the MSU Chairman & President, YBhg. Prof. Tan Sri Dato' Wira Dr. Mohd Shukri Ab Yajid, and the Director of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network, Paul Coyle.




E-STAR Management & Science University
E-STAR Management & Science University
Management & Science University

E-STAR ACCREDITED


E-STAR Accreditation was awarded to Management and Science University in April 2023.  


It holds the honour of being the first Higher Education Institution in the world to achieve E-STAR Accreditation.


WEBSITE

https://www.msu.edu.my


VISION

MSU aspires to be a leading transformative global university, engaging the society through entrepreneurship, research, innovation, industry embedment, and holistic education for a better future.


STUDENTS

25000 total (84% undergraduate, 16% postgraduate).


ADDRESS

Management and Science University DU019(B)

University Drive, Off Persiaran Olahraga, 

Section 13, 40100 Shah Alam,

Selangor Darul Ehsan,

Malaysia.

Picture Credit: Management and Science University and the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network


Statement from the Chairman & President of Management & Science University

YBhg. Prof. Tan Sri Dato' Wira Dr. Mohd Shukri Ab Yajid


On behalf of Management and Science University (MSU), we are pleased that the university has become the first higher education institution to achieve E-STAR Accreditation from the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network, an international community of practice with members in 106 countries dedicated to helping people make their unique contributions to the world. 


The E-STAR not only recognises the MSU commitment to quality education, research, and entrepreneurship, but also the University’s contributions to the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors through development and enablement of value creation across economic, social, cultural, and environmental domains.


The four standards of E-STAR accreditation comprise S for Student Education and Career Planning, T for Transfer of Knowledge to Business, A for Academic Innovation and Development, and R for Regional Impact – economic, social, and cultural; across all academic disciplines – business, life sciences, engineering, education, social sciences, hospitality, and the creative arts, that are all essential to global professional services. 


MSU’s commitment to entrepreneurship is part of the mindset, culture, and many aspects of our lives. What we are trying to do here is to produce graduates who can go out into the world and make a real contribution to society; in the street or the neighbourhood they live in, and to the city or the country. The world needs all these amazing young people to come out of our education!


I encourage all initiatives toward entrepreneurship, which has always been one of the pillars at MSU. A holistic approach encompassing mindset, application, and commercialisation ensures well-rounded development of MSU students in transforming lives, enriching a better future for themselves, as well as others. 


What we have gained today in the E-STAR accreditation status will be instrumental to future development of entrepreneurial activities and education at the University, as well as growth of our graduates. My appreciation and thanks go out to our students and alumni as well as our educators and partners, to whom the accreditation is especially meaningful, for their commitment to the entrepreneurship culture and benchmarking at MSU. 




YBhg. Prof. Tan Sri Dato' Wira Dr. Mohd Shukri Ab Yajid (Chairman & President)


In early summer 2023, the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network published the article "Entrepreneurial mindset - the nexus for a dynamic entrepreneurship ecosystem' in volume 6 number 2 of its online eZINE.


The article is an interview with Dr. Abdul Jalil Ghazali, Senior Vice President Industrial Linkages & Entrepreneurship,  at MSU. Dr Ghazali explains his role at MSU and shares his reflections on the process and benefits of E-STAR accreditation.


Read/download the article


BENEFITS

  

E-STAR Accreditation rewards Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) for their commitment to using the Entrepreneurial mindset as the catalyst for achieving higher quality in 4 Accreditation Standards:


Student education and career planning,


Transfer of knowledge to business,


Academic innovation and development, and


Regional impact (economic, social & cultural).

1 Increased recognition for use of the entrepreneurial mindset 


There is a real need to grow the level of recognition, at an international level, for HEIs that are using the entrepreneurial mindset to create value for their stakeholders.


E-STAR accreditation embraces the rich diversity of HEIs across the world, acknowledging and respecting their distinctive locations, missions, stakeholders, cultures, resources and national regulatory systems.


The Accreditation Standards have been designed to be relevant to all academic disciplines (including the humanities, art and cultural studies, scientific disciplines and the social sciences) and to recognise their distinct approaches to entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity.


Each of the 4 Accreditation Standards has 3 detailed Evaluation Criteria, making 12 in total. The criteriaarticulate realistic expectations for the integration of the entrepreneurial mindset into core HE activities and do not attempt to describe an idealised HEI.


The E-STAR awarding body is the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network, a community of practice with members in 105 countries.

3 A focus on creating added value for stakeholders


E-STAR Accreditation requires an HEI to meet 4 Accreditation Standards that evaluate the quality of the information it provides to stakeholders.


In order to prepare a submission for accreditation, an HEI will need to self-assess itself against the E-STAR Accreditation Standards. This analysis will no doubt lead the HEI to identify improvements that it will need to implement in preparation for accreditation.


Therefore, the preparatory phase of the accreditation process is not a bureaucratic exercise but a process that can create value for a diverse range of stakeholders.


E-STAR accreditation is an opportunity for an HEI to ensure that it is presenting its academic offer, services and achievements in the best possible light. Improving the quality of this information will strengthen connections with stakeholders and support the delivery of key administrative processes e.g. marketing, student recruitment, quality assurance, governance and human resource management.


E-STAR accreditation meets a real need for greater recognition of HEIs around the world who use the entrepreneurial mindset to create value for their stakeholders, including students, business and society.


E-STAR takes an entrepreneurial approach to the process of accreditation, and, therefore, is able to reduce bureaucracy, provide better value for money, reduce the time from application to award and maintain high standards.


It provides an opportunity to celebrate and promote entrepreneurial achievements in Higher Education and is a robust platform for continuous improvement.

2 An entrepreneurial approach to the process of accreditation


Firstly, the 4 Accreditation Standards have been designed to focus on the needs of stakeholders. This requires HEIs to review and enhance their provision of key information to stakeholders and in turn enables HEIs to strengthen their connections to prospective students, local businessand society.


Secondly, by recognising the autonomy of HEIs within their regulatory environments, there is no need to evaluate every organisational function or to request information that is confidential or commercially sensitive. This enables an accreditation which has a strict and distinctive focus on the entrepreneurial mindset.


Thirdly, a decision has been taken to undertake the review of an HEI, against the 4 Accreditation Standards, by only using evidence that is in the public domain and, therefore, is readily available to stakeholders. This removes the need for an HEI to produce a self-assessment report and allows the review to be conducted online without a visit. These factors combine to reduce costs, shorten timescales and to increase the transparency of the accreditation process and its outcomes.


Finally, the E-STAR process has been informed by consideration of the key elements of recognised accreditation codes of practice.


4 Stimulation of continuous improvement through Peer Review


A team of HE experts, undertakes a Peer Review of the information provided on the HEI’s website against the 4 Accreditation Standards. The Peer Reviewers will judge if the information is a) easy and quick to locate b) detailed and informative and c) tailored to the needs of the stakeholder.


As the 4 Accreditation Standards are evaluated against information in the public domain, the possibility of subjective judgements by the Peer Reviewers is reduced, and the HEI can more easily verify the outcomes of the accreditation.


The Peer Reviewers submit their draft evaluations and recommendations to the Director of the Entrepreneurial Mindset who validates the information and checks to ensure that there has been due process.


The Peer Review process is designed to offer an HEI an endorsement of good practice and access to recommendations from HE experts about steps towards continuous improvement. The final outcome is the ability to showcase the achievements of the HEI on the international stage.


5 Recognition of excellence

The outcome of the accreditation will be presented to the HEI in an online Feedback Meeting, during which the Peer Reviewers will share their evaluations of the HEI's website against the Accreditation Standards and their recommendations for continuous improvement. This is a valuable opportunity for peer-to-peer discussion between the HEI and the Reviewers. Afterwards, a brief report of the accreditation outcome will be sent to the HEI.


An HEI will be considered for the following levels of E-STAR accreditation:


  • E-STAR Bronze : at least 1 Evaluation Criterion satisfied in all 4 Accreditation Standards.
  • E-STAR Silver : at least 2 Evaluation Criteria satisfied in all 4 Accreditation Standards.
  • E-STAR Gold : all 3 Evaluation Criteria satisfied in all 4 Accreditation Standards


The levels of accreditation recognise the diversity of HEIs. To be accredited it is not necessary for an HEI to have provision that matches to all 12 evaluation criteria, but for those HEIs that do there is the additional opportunity for progression (Bronze, Silver and Gold).

6 Membership of a vibrant, community of practice for accredited HEIs

HEIs that have gained E-STAR accreditation will be inducted into the international E-STAR Academy.


The aims of the E-STAR Academy are:


  1. To create opportunities for enhanced recognition and status for accredited HEIs.
  2. To encourage and motivate HEIs to apply for E-STAR accreditation.
  3. To build a vibrant, international, community of practice for accredited HEIs.
  4. To support the continuous improvement of accredited HEIs in the application of the entrepreneurial mindset in HE.
  5. To support accredited HEIs to become regarded as the leaders in the use of the entrepreneurial mindset in HE.

In order to achieve these aims the E-STAR Academy will:


  1. Add a profile for each accredited HEI on the E-STAR Academy website.
  2. Build relationships with a diverse range of HEIs and encourage them to apply for E-STAR accreditation.
  3. Organise physical and online events that stimulate collaboration between the HEIs that are members of the Academy.
  4. Identify and disseminate best practice in the use of the entrepreneurial mindset amongst the HEIs that are members of the Academy.
  5. Organise events that bring the achievements and excellence of the accredited HEIs to the attention of a worldwide audience.

STANDARDS

  

Student education and career planning


Peer reviewers will examine the HEI’s website and identify examples of page(s) on the website which would enable a potential student to find answers to the following questions:


S1 What are my options for gaining a qualification which has a focus on creativity, innovation or entrepreneurship?


S2 What are the opportunities for me to take an active role in extra-curricula activities that support my creativity, innovation or entrepreneurship?


S3 How will you help me to manage my career options including preparation for employment or entrepreneurship?

Academic innovation and development


Peer reviewers will examine the HEI’s website and identify examples of page(s) on the website which would enable an employee at the HEI to find answers to following questions:


A1 What is my organisation’s strategic commitment to innovation in Higher Education?


A2 How is responsibility for innovation represented within the governance and leadership structures of my organisation?


A3 How does my organisation support equality and diversity?

Transfer of knowledge to business



Peer reviewers will examine the HEI’s website and identify examples of page(s) on the website which would enable a person who aspires to start or grow a business to find answers to the following questions:


T1 What training and resources do you offer that would help me to start a new business or enterprise?


T2 What training and resources do you offer that would help me to improve my existing company or organisation?


T3 How can your research (activities, people and resources) help me or my organisation or my sector/industry?

Regional impact (economic, social and cultural)


Peer reviewers will examine the HEI’s website and identify examples of page(s) on the website which would enable alumni and members of the public to find answers to following questions:


R1 How do you support me as a member of the alumni?


R2 How can I find out about on-campus activities or online events that are open to me as a member of the general public?


R3 How are staff and students engaged in the local community in ways that generate benefits for citizens?

Step 1: Registration


The first step in the E-STAR accreditation is to complete a short registration form. The Form must be completed by a person with the authority to act on behalf of the HEI and approve the payment of the Registration Fee of 500€. The HEI then chooses the date/time for a 45 minute online Briefing. The agenda for the Briefing will include:


  • an introduction to E-STAR
  • an explanation of how to make an application
  • a guided self-assessment (with examples of strengths and weaknesses from the HEI's curent website)
  • the opportunity to ask any questions
  • the timeline and next steps

TIMELINE AND FEES

  

Step 2: Peer Review


When an HEI is satisfied that its website is ready for evaluation, it requests a Peer Review. It must declare that all the information it places in the public domain is accurate and pay the Peer Review Fee of 2000€, which includes:


  • contracting of independent HE experts capable of judging the HEI's application
  • conduct of a Peer Review, evaluating the HEI's website against the E-STAR Accreditation Standards
  • a 45 minute online Feedback Meeting, which will provide an explanation of the outcome of the accreditation and discuss any recommendations for improvement

Step 3: Join the E-STAR Academy


There is an annual membership fee of 500€ for the E-STAR Academy which includes 1) promotion of the accreditation of the HEI, 2) support for continuous improvement and 3) stimulation of opportunities for collaboration.


1) To support the promotion of the accreditation of the HEI, the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network will:


  • Provide digital accreditation badges for use by the HEI's on its website.
  • Add the HEI’s accreditation profile to the E-STAR Academy website.
  • Promote the accreditation of the HEI on the Network’s social media channels eg LinkedIn and Twitter.
  • Invite the HEI to contribute to the Network’s eZINE.


2) To support continuous improvement, the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network will:


  • Provide a brief report to the HEI confirming the outcome of the Peer Review and the feedback from the Peer Reviewers.
  • Host an annual, online development meeting each year between the HEI and the Director of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network.


Note: The annual development meeting, which will be up to 45 minutes duration, is designed to be a discussion which will support the HEI in its continuous improvement of its website and, at the right time, its preparation for re-accreditation.


3) To stimulate opportunities for collaboration, the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network will invite accredited HEIs:


  • to participate in the Network’s xCHANGE webinars and meet other members of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network.
  • to join the Network's major projects (eg HIVE and SHINE) and work with a diverse range of international partners.
  • to join meetings organised by the Network, between the members of the E-STAR Academy, to explore the potential for new collaborations.

Summary of Fees


The cost of gaining E-STAR Accreditation is 3000€ in total. This includes the Registration Fee 500€, the Peer Review Fee 2000€ and the E-STAR Academy Membership Fee 500€.


E-STAR accreditation is valid for a period of 5 years, provided that an HEI maintains its membership of the E-STAR Academy.


Therefore, the total costs in a 5 year period are 5000€. This includes 3000€ for E-STAR Accreditation and 2000€ for membership of the E-STAR Academy.


Payment is by credit card or bank transfer. No VAT is payable.The above Fees are valid in 2023.