SHANGHAI, Nov. 2 -- LOCAL college students get full marks for enthusiasm for starting their own businesses but lack entrepreneurial ability, a report has shown.

The report, which was released by the Shanghai Technology Entrepreneurship Foundation for Graduates yesterday, involved 1,256 college and university students.

It showed 61 percent of college students had a burning desire to start a business.

Only 48 percent said they did some preparation such as reading entrepreneurship books.

"It is delightful to see young people have such high business-starting intentions," the research group wrote in its report. "But we must realize there's a gap between students' intention and the reality."

Li Zhan, a professor of Jiao Tong University's Antai School of Management, said that lack of entrepreneurship education was the biggest failure of students keen to start their own businesses.

Only a few universities in the city have entrepreneurship courses.

Last week, the foundation kicked off a business-starting program in local universities to invite working entrepreneurs to share their own experiences with students.