Investigating entrepreneurship education for sustainable development goals using a systematic literature network analysis

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of SDG-integrated entrepreneurship education while simultaneously mapping the broader research landscape through an innovative systematic literature network analysis (SLNA). We conducted a PRISMA-compliant systematic review using a Scopus search and integrated it with a bibliometric analysis in VOSviewer to examine the keyword co-occurrence network of 410 articles. A meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models for quantitative outcomes, while a thematic synthesis addressed qualitative findings. Twenty-seven high-quality studies involving 9,801 university students across 15 countries demonstrated that SDG-integrated entrepreneurship education exerts a substantial positive effect on sustainable entrepreneurial intentions (d = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.98–1.26, p < 0.001), with the strongest effect observed for the integration of an explicit SDG framework (d = 1.49). Bibliometric analysis identified 11 distinct research theme clusters from 996 keywords, with entrepreneurship education serving as the central hub connecting psychological mechanisms, sustainability integration, and social entrepreneurship domains. SDG-integrated entrepreneurship education consistently enhances sustainable entrepreneurial intentions across diverse cultural contexts, with experiential learning emerging as the most effective strategy. These findings should be interpreted with caution, as the majority of included studies employ cross-sectional designs and measure short-term entrepreneurial intentions rather than sustained behavioral outcomes or measurable SDG impact.