Embedding entrepreneurship in heritage education: the UMK experience

Heritage has been seen as a very important element in the development of a nation. Heritage on
the other hand is dying and needs to be revived. There is a push to educate younger generation
on the issue of dying heritage by creating awareness and appreciation towards heritage through
education. All across the globe, there is a growing concern for the need to restore heritage into
our education systems simply because heritage depicts one’s identity of race and culture. In light
of the above dilemma, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) views heritage as an opportunity
that needs to be grabbed and properly utilized. Heritage to UMK is like a precious gem that
needs to be given a new touch. Since UMK is an “Entrepreneurial University” that embrace
Entrepreneurship as its thrusts, heritage is no exception to the feild of entreprenurship. History
has proven that manufacturing of heritage artifacts as replicas were nothing strange to arts
entrepreneurs. Traditional performing arts were innovated and given a face lift in making it
more commercialised and marketable, craving the so called world class quality. Hence in July
2007, UMK introduced a unique academic programme named Bachelor of Heritage Studies with
Honours to the Malaysian high school leavers incorporating entrepreneruship in its curriculum.
This paper will introduce the programme and its academic components, discuss problems
related to the running of an academic heritage programme that merge entrepreneurship
elements at tertiary levels and forecast the future of this programme.