Muhammad Burhan Mirza: ‘If Degrees Don’t Build Entrepreneurs, What Will?’

In Pakistan, the dream of entrepreneurship is spreading like wildfire. From Instagram-based clothing brands to small-scale software consultancies, the desire to “build something of your own” is echoing in drawing rooms, co-working spaces, and even roadside tea stalls. Yet, as this entrepreneurial wave rises, one unsettling question lingers: If our universities are issuing degrees in business, technology, and commerce by the thousands, why aren’t they producing our next generation of entrepreneurs?

THE FOREIGN-BRED FOUNDER’S DILEMMA

A look at some of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs reveals a telling pattern. Many of them are Pakistani-born, but educated abroad. Whether it’s Silicon Valley startups founded by Pakistani-origin techies or local unicorns backed by diaspora founders, their formative entrepreneurial exposure often took place outside of Pakistan.

The contrast lies in what these foreign institutions offer: access to mentors, incubators, problem-solving pedagogy, and an entrepreneurial ecosystem that encourages risk-taking.

“Entrepreneurship can’t be taught in theory alone. It’s a mindset developed through exposure, failure, iteration,” says Burhan Mirza, investor and founder of The Coach360, a leadership and entrepreneurship development platform. “Unfortunately, our degrees are still stuck in 20th-century silos. They rarely inspire innovation or action.”

WHAT OUR DEGREES LACK

A typical business graduate in Pakistan might leave university having studied management theories, written business plans, and memorized case studies—but never started a real business, pitched to investors, or worked on market validation.

Entrepreneurship programs, where they exist, are often elective and heavily theoretical. Meanwhile, the core structure of Pakistani higher education still rewards compliance over creativity, grades over grit.

According to a report by the World Economic Forum, only 17% of students in Pakistan are ever exposed to real-life business problem-solving during their formal education. Compare that to 58% in India and over 70% in Singapore.

THE RISE OF THE SCRAPPY ENTREPRENEUR

Ironically, while universities lag behind, a grassroots entrepreneurial wave is gaining momentum. Platforms like Daraz, TikTok, Instagram, and local fintechs have empowered thousands of young Pakistanis to build micro-businesses without formal degrees or traditional backing.

From women running online thrift stores from their homes to students freelancing internationally, this new generation is crafting businesses with nothing more than a smartphone and determination.

The Coach360 has tapped into this spirit by offering on-ground and digital coaching programs in underserved communities. “We’ve worked with young people in Layyah, Lyari, and Landi Kotal—places where formal education systems are failing, but ambition is thriving,” says Muhammad Burhan Mirza. “All they need is a spark, structure, and support.”

THE ROLE OF MENTORSHIP AND PRACTICAL SUPPORT

What separates an aspiring entrepreneur from a successful one is often not education, but mentorship. Pakistan lacks structured, accessible mentorship pipelines. Incubators and accelerators exist, but most are concentrated in urban hubs like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.

Additionally, funding remains a huge barrier. According to Invest2Innovate’s 2024 Pakistan Startup Ecosystem Report, only 2.3% of funding last year went to businesses started by individuals under 25. The majority of capital is still allocated to later-stage or foreign-backed startups.

“We need a micro-investment culture in Pakistan,” Burhan Mirza emphasizes. “Not just VC money. Family loans, community funds, and skill-based bootstrapping must be normalized.”

CHANGING MINDSETS IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

Entrepreneurship can become a tool for inclusion if introduced as a mindset early on, especially in communities with limited access to higher education.

Organizations like The Coach360 are now working with different entities to introduce young people to problem-solving thinking, design sprints, and community entrepreneurship. Their approach is simple: don’t wait for a degree to start building.

Take the case of Rehan, a 19-year-old from Karachi, Pakistan. After attending a Coach360 workshop, he began selling handmade leather wallets through Instagram, reinvesting profits to teach other boys in his town how to do the same. Guess what? Rehan never went to college.

A NEW NARRATIVE FOR PAKISTAN’S FUTURE

Pakistan has one of the youngest populations in the world, with over 64% under the age of 30. This is not just a statistic—it’s a strategic advantage if mobilized correctly.

Government policies must now reflect this opportunity. The National Incubation Centers (NICs) need to expand beyond major metros. Tax incentives for micro-enterprises, digital wallets for youth business transactions, and partnerships between universities and local entrepreneurs could go a long way.

Curriculums also need a hard reset. Project-based learning, entrepreneurship labs, startup bootcamps, and faculty exchange with real-world entrepreneurs must become standard practice.

Burhan Mirza believes the time is ripe: “We don’t need to wait for the system to fix itself. We need to empower the youth with the confidence and tools to act now. Education should be a runway, not a roadblock.”

BUILDING BUILDERS

Degrees are valuable, but they cannot be the sole metric for potential. Pakistan’s future won’t be built solely in classrooms, but in workshops, garages, WhatsApp groups, and community centers. The country must embrace a new model of empowerment – one that values learning by doing, failing fast, and solving local problems with global tools.

If degrees don’t build entrepreneurs, then exposure, mentorship, community, and mindset must. The next big founder may not have a business degree – but with the right support, they will build a business that creates degrees of change.