This study aims to identify the relationship between social self-efficacy, social innovation, resilience, and proactive personality concerning university students’ behavioral intention to engage in social entrepreneurship, particularly in emerging economies, like Bangladesh. A structured questionnaire was utilized to collect quantitative data from 540 students in various disciplines of study as part of the study's quantitative research methodology using partial least squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). The analysis reveals that proactive personality traits are associated with the social entrepreneurship intention (SEI) and that leadership orientation is also significant to SEI. The study also demonstrates that social entrepreneurial activities tend toward higher social self-efficacy and resilience, making it crucial to focus on such characteristics while facing social risk and bearing innovations. This study's novelty lies in its focus on the unique combination of psychological traits—social self-efficacy, social innovation, resilience, and proactive personality—and their impact on university students' intention to engage in social entrepreneurship in emerging economies. Additionally, the research emphasizes the importance of integrating leadership skills and social innovation into academic curricula and policy development to foster social entrepreneurship. Practical implications indicate that leadership skills and social innovation should be included in the curricula of educational institutions, and supportive policies should be developed to create available resources for prospective social entrepreneurs.