Huddersfield hosts NCEE entrepreneurial event
Pictured alongside University of Huddersfield Head of Enterprise Dr Kelly Smith [centre] are NCEE's Programme Directors Paul Coyle and Gay Haskins.
Mon, 28 Apr 2014 13:00:00 BST
Entrepreneurial University Leaders Programme comes to Huddersfield as a holder of the Entrepreneurial University of the Year title
THE University of Huddersfield’s entrepreneurial excellence meant it hosted a major event aimed at the leaders of universities throughout Europe.
There was a packed day of discussions led by senior figures at Huddersfield, currently the Times Higher Education University of the Year and a holder of the publication’s Entrepreneurial University of the Year title.
The four-day event – which shuttled between Huddersfield and Leeds – was one of the 2014 modules in the Entrepreneurial University Leaders Programme, organised by NCEE (The National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education). The aim of the programme is to emphasise the importance of entrepreneurship within the context of higher education and to learn how universities are responding to the challenge.
This was the first time that NCEE had held one of its events at University of Huddersfield. Head of Enterprise Dr Kelly Smith said that this was in recognition of the achievement of winning the Entrepreneurial University of the Year title.
The event was a great success, she said, and it attracted a large number of top university executives from throughout the UK and from Europe, particularly Scandinavia.
Entrepreneurial initiatives
The first evening of the gathering included a discussion session with University of Huddersfield Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan and a dinner held at the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre, which is the University’s unique base for businesses large and small, alongside student start-ups.
The following day included a session on entrepreneurial culture at the University of Huddersfield, with key contributions from Director of Estates and Facilities Colin Blair, Deputy Director of Finance Paul Cropper and Director of International Development Andrew Mandebura.
A session on entrepreneurial initiatives at Huddersfield was led by Head of Careers and Employability Stephen Boyd with contributions from academic staff including Senior Lecturer in Music Technology Dr Liz Dobson.
After a tour of the 3M BIC and the Queen’s Street Studios, Professor Liz Towns-Andrews, who is Director of Research and Enterprise, and Dr Barry Timmins, Head of Business Development, led a discussion on research, enterprise and business development at the University of Huddersfield.
The National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education is running three modules in its 2014 Entrepreneurial University Leaders Programme. The first took place in January at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and the University of Huddersfield’s event will be followed in July by a session at the central London HQ of Universities UK.
