Social entrepreneurship and heutagogy as immersive, experiential pedagogies for multidisciplinary education

This chapter explores the symbiotic relationship between social entrepreneurship and heutagogy, as immersive and experiential pedagogies, and their role in multidisciplinary education. Social entrepreneurship, driven by the desire to find innovative solutions to societal challenges, increasingly intersects with educational approaches that emphasize learner-directed, self-determined learning (heutagogy) and that prioritize multidisciplinarity. This chapter examines how these pedagogical methods support the development of social entrepreneurial skills and mindsets in diverse cultural contexts. In India, immersive learning often integrates local community engagement, allowing students to address real-world problems within a multidisciplinary framework and develop culturally relevant solutions. Findings from Indian educational initiatives suggest that while cultural differences influence implementation, these contexts benefit from immersive, experiential learning environments that foster critical thinking, collaboration, multidisciplinarity, and adaptive leadership, all of which are essential for effective social entrepreneurship. The chapter also offers insights into optimizing educational strategies to nurture the future generation of globally socially conscious entrepreneurs.