Moving beyond content: postgraduate education as a global-entrepreneurial leadership ecosystem

The accelerating forces of digital globalisation, innovation, and labour market volatility are redefining the purpose of postgraduate (PG) education. This paper explores how higher education (HE) can prepare PG students to develop global leadership, management, and entrepreneurial capabilities suited to interconnected and rapidly changing economies. Using a mixed-methods approach combining curriculum document analysis and interviews with programme directors and students across Europe, Asia, and Africa, the study identifies key challenges in current PG programmes: overemphasis on disciplinary depth, limited exposure to global collaboration, and insufficient integration of entrepreneurial thinking. Findings show that effective programmes cultivate global readiness through experiential projects, digital collaboration, and partnership with industry and international institutions. The study proposes the Global-Entrepreneurial Leadership Ecosystem (GELE) Framework, positioning HE as an integrative learning ecosystem that blends digital, intercultural, and entrepreneurial competencies. The paper concludes that preparing PG students for global management and entrepreneurship requires HEIs to move beyond content delivery towards creating inclusive, cross-border learning environments that foster agility, innovation, and social responsibility.