Imam Shofwan, S. Sunardi, Abdul Rahman, Gunarhadi
Entrepreneurship education in Indonesia did not emerge as a sudden response to contemporary economic challenges, but rather evolved through a long, intellectual, and policy-driven process shaped by historical, political, and socio-cultural dynamics. While existing studies predominantly focus on the effectiveness and outcomes of entrepreneurship education, relatively little attention has been paid to its historical and intellectual foundations. This study addresses this gap by examining the intellectual history of entrepreneurship education in Indonesian higher education. Using a qualitative historical approach combined with discourse analysis, the study analyzes primary sources, including education policies, curriculum regulations, and official government documents, alongside secondary academic literature from the 1980s to the present. The findings reveal that entrepreneurship education gradually shifted from a marginal development discourse during the late New Order period to a formally institutionalized component of higher education following the Reformasi era, particularly through the National Education System Law of 2003 and subsequent curriculum reforms. This trajectory reflects a broader paradigm shift from a bureaucratic education model toward one emphasizing innovation, self-reliance, and an entrepreneurial mindset, further reinforced by the Merdeka Belajar–Kampus Merdeka policy. The study contributes to the historiography of education by contextualizing entrepreneurship education within Indonesia’s intellectual, ideological, and policy landscape, highlighting the importance of historically grounded perspectives for evaluating current and future educational reforms. © 2026, Universitas Negeri Semarang. All rights reserved.
Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia; Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
