In today’s rapidly changing environment, entrepreneurial education is a vital pursuit. The objective of this education is to equip young individuals with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes not only to initiate their own enterprises but also to do so with a primary focus on sustainability (Edokpolor, 2020; Ghannad & Sörensson, 2024). Our youth become better prepared to address urgent global issues and make positive contributions to society and economic development through entrepreneurial education, which instills in them a sense of creativity, responsibility, and resilience (Munir et al., 2022). It underscores the importance of socially and ecologically conscious entrepreneurial practices, making sustainability the core of entrepreneurship (Armutcu et al., 2024; Larsen, 2022).

To promote sustainable entrepreneurship, not only in terms of processes but also concerning values and knowledge sharing, a significant objective of this special issue is to encourage authors submitting their work to investigate deeper into research and practices that examine how entrepreneurial education influences the entrepreneurial mindset of the youth community. This issue has specific goals for policymakers, researchers, and educators, including, but not limited to:

• Provide young people with the information and skills required for entrepreneurial success.
• Foster an entrepreneurial spirit that strongly emphasizes social responsibility, sustainability, and ethical corporate conduct.
• Equip teachers with the tools and pedagogical techniques necessary to prioritize sustainability in their entrepreneurial education programs.
• Highlight the real-world application of entrepreneurial knowledge and skills to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
• Examine the role of technology and digital literacy in contemporary sustainable youth entrepreneurship.
• Explore the implications for policy and propose strategies to promote and advance sustainable entrepreneurial education on local, national, and international levels.
• Cultivating a new generation of environmentally and socially responsible businesses will contribute to the broader goals of sustainable development.

Together, these objectives will focus on advancing and promoting entrepreneurial education, which equips youth with the tools to become successful entrepreneurs while also instilling in them a sense of responsibility for sustainable entrepreneurship that benefits both the environment and society.

In today’s society, entrepreneurial education is critical for promoting sustainable entrepreneurship (Joshi et al., 2024; Liu et al., 2020; Lourenço et al., 2013). It involves educating young people, who represent the nation’s future, given their creativity and originality, to support sustainable enterprises and make a positive impact on the environment and society ((Edokpolor, 2020).

Essentially, this teaching methodology places a strong emphasis on cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset in students, urging them to think critically, adapt to change, and recognize opportunities where others might see challenges. It prioritizes innovation and challenges young people to devise creative solutions to global issues, including inequality, poverty, and climate change (Li et al., 2018; Sim et al., 2023). This mindset shift is crucial for developing future leaders and problems solvers capable of addressing complex, interconnected global issues.

Young entrepreneurs must grasp international markets, collaborate with diverse teams, and approach issues from a broad global viewpoint in today’s interconnected world. Through the acquisition of a global perspective, entrepreneurial education enhances individuals’ capacity to seize global opportunities and effectively address global challenges.

Aims and Scope

Emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurial education is crucial for equipping young people to confront the challenges of the twenty-first century. Furthermore, it is now imperative to promote sustainable entrepreneurship in response to global challenges such as resource scarcity, social inequality, and climate change (Munir et al., 2022; Nguyen et al., 2022). Young entrepreneurs also require access to resources like capital, networking opportunities, and mentoring for their success. In addition to imparting knowledge, entrepreneurial education should provide hands-on support, enabling students to turn their ideas into thriving enterprises (Lourenço et al., 2013; Sim et al., 2023). This includes legislation that facilitates access to financing and programs for mentorship and incubation to help them grow and support their business endeavors.

This special issue is timely because it addresses the pressing need to instill in young people the values, expertise, and skills necessary to establish sustainable businesses that benefit both the environment and society ((Edokpolor, 2020; Larsen, 2022). Focusing on the relationship between sustainability and entrepreneurial education among young, aspiring entrepreneurs, this special issue seeks to fill a notable gap in the existing body of literature. Although sustainability and entrepreneurial education have been subjects of comprehensive individual research, little is known about their interplay, particularly in the context of young sustainable entrepreneurship. Our objective in exploring this uncharted territory is to provide educators, policymakers, and practitioners with fresh insights, perspectives, and best practices.

This issue represents an innovative approach to teaching entrepreneurial concepts. Its aim is to provide young people with the knowledge, attitude, and tools required to navigate the challenging and dynamic world of entrepreneurship successfully. Through instruction in innovation, accountability, adaptability, and global awareness, this educational paradigm readies the next generation of leaders and stewards of the environment (Hajdari et al., 2024; Li et al., 2018; Ghannad & Sörensson, 2024). It also nurtures social justice advocates and successful businesspeople. This path leads toward a more promising and sustainable future in which entrepreneurial endeavors become a force for good. Entrepreneurial education can nurture future innovators and problem solvers. It encourages young minds to think creatively, identify opportunities, and develop groundbreaking solutions to pressing global issues like inequality, poverty, and climate change. A robust ecosystem of young entrepreneurship can significantly contribute to economic growth. Young entrepreneurs alleviate pressure on established job markets by creating employment opportunities, fostering economic growth, and fostering a culture of self-reliance. It is imperative for entrepreneurial education to place a strong emphasis on sustainability.

It promotes responsible entrepreneurial practices that can help address sustainability issues by teaching aspiring entrepreneurs to consider the social and environmental impacts of their endeavors. Governments and educational institutions should collaborate to create a supportive environment for entrepreneurial education (de Bernard et al., 2024; Nguyen et al., 2022). For young entrepreneurs, this involves developing curricula, providing financial incentives, and reducing regulatory barriers. To ensure that entrepreneurial education programs effectively promote sustainable entrepreneurship, it is crucial to assess their outcomes. Long-term results, including community growth, job creation, and environmental improvements, should be taken into account.

We invite academics, instructors, policymakers, and educators to submit original research papers, case studies, and critical reviews that explore the dynamic relationship between youth-led sustainable entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education for this special issue. By working together, we aim to enhance understanding in this important and evolving field and, in the process, inspire a new generation of young entrepreneurs dedicated to sustainable practices and positive social impact.

Significance of the Special Issue

This special issue aims to make a valuable contribution to the field of sustainability literature, with a particular focus on empowering and engaging the youth community to foster sustainable entrepreneurship. Additionally, it will pave the way for future research endeavors, offering numerous unexplored avenues for scholars to explore in the realm of sustainable entrepreneurship, a crucial need for our global society (de Bernard et al., 2024). The themes explored in this study have actively contributed to the formulation of models that can guide policymakers and industry leaders in fostering a conducive environment for nurturing entrepreneurial students with a strong emphasis on sustainable entrepreneurship.

Youth entrepreneurial education and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #4, “Quality Education,” are strongly intertwined. The purpose of this goal is to ensure comprehensive and equitable quality education for all. The practice of entrepreneurship is essential for economic growth. It fosters the entrepreneurial talents of young people, supporting sustainable economic growth, and thereby making more resources available to raise a nation’s educational standards. It equips young people with the tools and perspective necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing world and gives them the confidence to take an active role in their education and future. This, in turn, promotes the broader objectives of reducing inequality, fostering economic development, and providing high-quality education to everyone, which, in turn, contributes to the development of sustainable entrepreneurship.

The following is the few significances of this issue:

1. Researchers will find a wealth of literature on sustainable entrepreneurial education, providing a comprehensive resource for their investigations.
2. Policymakers will gain valuable insights from the models and factors presented, enabling them to shape policies and development programs that support aspiring entrepreneurs and students.
3. The industry will benefit from the recruitment policies that can be tailored to attract students with an intrapreneurial mindset, enhancing their talent pool with forward-thinking individuals.

Suggested Topics

The major themes for this issue include the following:

• Comparing the effectiveness of various approaches to entrepreneurial education in instilling a spirit of sustainable entrepreneurship in young learners.
• Examining the influence of entrepreneurial education on the perspectives of youth communities, with a focus on social responsibility and sustainability.
• Conducting a comprehensive analysis of sustainable initiatives led by youth that have benefited from entrepreneurial education.
• Identifying best practices for designing and implementing entrepreneurial education programs that prioritize social impact and sustainability.
• Evaluating legislative frameworks and proposing strategies for integrating sustainable concepts into youth community education.
• Investigating the integration of multiple fields in young entrepreneurial education, including environmental science, ethics, and social entrepreneurship.
• Demonstrating how innovation and technology can support sustainable enterprises to young people.
• Creating a comprehensive model that illustrates how entrepreneurial education affects sustainable entrepreneurship within youth communities.
• Ranking the elements, factors, and dimensions influencing entrepreneurial education for sustainable entrepreneurship among youth communities.
• Modeling the elements, factors, and dimensions that support entrepreneurial education for sustainable enterprises within youth communities.
• Examining the obstacles and challenges in advancing gender parity in entrepreneurial education and its impact on young people’s engagement in sustainable entrepreneurship.
• Providing research and case examples from various geographical areas to underscore the global significance of the topic.
• Emphasizing the bridging of the knowledge gap between research findings and practical applications, offering educators, decision-makers, and business owners’ valuable insights.
• Exploring methods for equipping youth with the leadership abilities, self-assurance, and entrepreneurial mindset essential for sustainable entrepreneurship.
• Investigating how cultural contexts can be used to tailor entrepreneurial education and how cultural influences affect young people’s entrepreneurship for sustainability.
• Analyzing cooperative programs that bring together companies, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and educational institutions to encourage youth involvement in sustainable entrepreneurship.

These major themes will assist in organizing the special issue and attracting a diverse range of research papers and case studies that contribute to the advancement of knowledge and advocacy for entrepreneurial education for sustainable entrepreneurship within youth community.

Submission Information

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Author guidelines

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”.

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Dates

Submissions open: 1 September 2025

Submissions close: 31 December 2025