• Dr Alan Murray - Reader in Enterprise & Thematic Lead

• Dr Robert Crammond - Senior Lecturer in Enterprise & Thematic Lead

• Ibiyemi Omeihe - Lecturer in Enterprise & Thematic Lead

SME Start-up, Sustainability & Growth: this theme shall focus on research concerning SME operations, start-up and scale-up case studies, sustainability measures and integration, regional and national growth studies, intrapreneurship, and entrepreneurial strategy.

Enterprise & Policy: this theme shall focus on research concerning social enterprise, philanthropic studies, charities and volunteering, local government policy and initiatives, and matters in relation to investment and infrastructure.

Entrepreneurial Practice & Skills: this theme shall focus on research concerning idea generation, creativity, and innovation; enterprising skills development; research informed enterprise education; and, the entrepreneurial stakeholder.

The activity of TERG will concentrate on undertaking projects and producing impactful outputs which focus on SME start-up, sustainability & growth, enterprise policy and entrepreneurial practice & skills. This research will lead to meaningful practice and policy based solutions which respond to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

From a research perspective TERG will also build on the signature capability developed within SBCI around curricular and co-curricular enterprise education for which it has gained national and international award recognition for innovation in education. UWS will establish itself as a world leader on how HEIs work with business by developing and disseminating its blueprint for HEI engagement with the world of business which is strategically aligned to key drivers of enterprise policy.

External Partners

• Business Gateway Link: https://www.bgateway.com/ 

• Converge Challenge UK Link: https://www.convergechallenge.com/ 

• Elevator Link: https://www.elevatoruk.com/ 

• Entrepreneurial Mindset Network Link: https://entrepreneurial-mindset.network/ 

• Forever Great Link: https://www.forevergreat.co.uk/ 

• Small Business Charter Link: https://smallbusinesscharter.org/ 

• The Trampery Link: https://thetrampery.com/ 

With emerging examples and offerings dating back to the mid-20th century, Entrepreneurship Education (EE) is now an omnipresent feature within universities today. Whether represented within a dedicated programme, offered within thematic business-facing workshops, or as a systematic route towards enhanced and consistent business and community engagement, EE can be regarded as a key element within Higher Education Institution (HEI) operations and feature of an institution’s identity.

           However, along with the many approaches and applications of EE within the classroom environment encouraging skills or new venture development, it is of course subject to pedagogical, resource, and infrastructural changes as the HE sector moves with surrounding market trends and needs of industry. Recent developments within the United Kingdom (UK), directly or indirectly affecting the HE sector, including post-Brexit and post-pandemic challenges, student population shortfalls, and the advent of AI have all disrupted both the capacity and capability for universities to operate effectively and efficiently. This, arguably, necessitates the continued offering and developing of EE as a form of education cognisant of the wider regional community need. Additionally, EE presents the opportunity for business, sectors, and stakeholders, sharing objectives and visions with that of the university, to engage and achieve towards the national interest.

           In light of recent crises, and ongoing volatility within the sector in the UK, this working paper discusses the increasing intersection of EE and institutional strategy, and the mobilising of EE approaches and activities which subsequently define the 21st century university. Following from this, an inductive multistakeholder approach is presented, forming a research agenda which confronts and compares the current strategies and suggestions from UK HEIs. This concerns a series of factors, including: institutional infrastructure and responsibilities; alignment to relevant EE-related policy; pedagogical approaches; engagement activities; and the building of entrepreneurial legacies which impact regional and national landscapes.

           This working paper outlines a prescribed, phased methodology, which shall be of benefit to a range of stakeholders, chiefly within the HE sector and amongst EE educators and researchers. Furthermore, it shall establish present day resource challenges, sector complexities, and reflect on a number of perspectives from students to practitioners.