Ugochukwu Chinonso Okolie, Leipzig University

Yuliya Shtaltovna, HS Fresenius

Paul Agu Igwe, University of Lincoln

Priscilla Bahaw, The University of the West Indies

Chibueze Tobias Orji, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

This special issue seeks empirical research on how student entrepreneurship influences the transition from university education to employment in emerging economies. The focus is on understanding how entrepreneurial experiences during higher education contribute to career development, employability skills, and readiness for labour market entry.

The call addresses a gap in research regarding student entrepreneurship's role in university-to-work transition, despite evidence that entrepreneurial activities provide experiential learning opportunities for developing workplace skills. The special issue aims to inform policymakers, university administrators, and industry experts about improving graduate employment outcomes while contributing to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to quality education, decent work, and reduced inequalities.

Appel publié par Career Development International. Lire l'appel complet sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• Student Entrepreneurial Activities as a Pathway to University-to-Work Transition: exploring how students' engagement in small and micro-businesses might facilitate or hinder their transition into the labour market
• Career Development and Employability Skills Acquisition: exploring how students' entrepreneurial engagement contributes to or hinders the development of essential employability skills and career readiness
• Institutional and Contextual Factors in Emerging Economies: exploring how factors such as institutional support, government policies, culture and economic conditions shape student entrepreneurship and university-to-work transition outcomes
• Cross-regional Comparative Insights & Theoretical Advancement: examining comparative perspectives on how student entrepreneurship affects university-to-work transition in different regions
• Inner Development Goals and the Human Dimension of Entrepreneurship: integration of the IDGuide into entrepreneurship and business education, and how cognitive, social, and self-leadership competencies promote entrepreneurial behaviour and employability among students

Timeline

• November 1, 2025: Opening date for manuscripts submissions
• October 1, 2026: Closing date for manuscripts submission

Mirit K. Grabarski, Lakehead University

Galina Boiarintseva, Niagara University

Maria Hameed Khan, Queensland University of Technology

Maria Mouratidou, Liverpool John Moores University

This special issue addresses the interconnected but distinct concepts of meaning, meaningfulness, and purpose in work. While these ideas have gained research attention within career development theories and organizational psychology, they often remain conceptually unclear and intertwined. The issue seeks to clarify how meaning relates to personal interpretations and values, meaningfulness to emotional fulfillment and engagement, and purpose to long-term career direction and self-transcendent goals.

The special issue invites researchers to explore how individuals find fulfillment at work by examining the integration of these three dimensions. It welcomes empirical and theoretical contributions from scholars worldwide that address contemporary questions about human flourishing in work contexts, including how work aligns with personal values, contributes to sustainable careers, and supports wellbeing across different occupations and life stages.

Appel publié par Career Development International. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• Authenticity and alignment of work with personal values
• Decent work and meaningfulness across occupations
• Human and technological interactions and the future of work
• The place of work in a whole-life framework
• Calling and serving higher purpose through work
• Sustaining purpose and meaning over time

Timeline

• February 1, 2027: Opening date for manuscripts submissions
• March 1, 2027: Closing date for manuscripts submission