Exploring the Relationship Between Internationalization and Entrepreneurial University: The Mediating Effect of Education in University of Tehran, Sharif University of Technology, and Tarbiat Modares University

Internationalization is one of the most critical indicators for universities, and universities are the main players in entrepreneurial ecosystems. Although many studies have focused on the components of internationalization, so far off little attention has been paid to the role of entrepreneurship in university development simultaneously with the mediating role of education. Therefore, the present study set out to investigate whether internationalization affects the entrepreneurial university with the mediating role of education in Iranian universities or not. To collect data, a questionnaire was distributed among 171 individuals, including managers and faculty members in the fields of international activities and entrepreneurship. The findings suggest that the components of internationalization, including technology, human resources, finance, communications, and innovation, all have a positive impact on an entrepreneurial university as mediated by education. The human resource management component has the greatest impact on an entrepreneurial university with a mediating role of education. In addition, findings show that universities need to focus on the internal activities, more resources, and executive agents to find a better position. In this way, they can identify significant resources that can be used to develop universities.