|
|
|
News 2009-10
The Rank Foundation Grant has run over 3 years and has supported students on the programmes and also enable the development of the programmes through off site delivery and the development of blended learning.
Nigel Scott, Course Director of the Charity Masters programmes, has been successful in developing the course offer to enable a programme in association for CIPFA, a major public sector accountancy body. Nigel has also developed the charity course offer and brought in professional experts from the sector to assist on the programmes.
International Social Innovation Research Conference
In September 2009 LSBU was a partner with Oxford University who hosted this major international conference. It brought together the UK Social Enterprise Research Conference and the International Social Entrepreneurship Conference. It was highly successful, with over 90 submissions. Two academic journal issues and a book proposal are associated with the conference. Here is the
conference brochure.
Funded Research
In July 2008 we submitted an ESRC bid to engage in comparative research into Social Enterprise. This was prepared with fellow researchers at the University of Durham and Middlesex University. The consortium was led by Middlesex University. We were successful in this bid and this will involve (between the three universities) £1 million funding over 5 years. The LSBU role will involve primarily Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and participation in the placement and voucher elements of the scheme. It is also expected that we will participate in CASE studentship provision with a view to seeking CASE accreditation in 2010 which is the next available opportunity.KTP applications with leading charities and a social enterprise umbrella organisation have been approved. They involve Alex Murdock, Michael Knight and Charles Jardine and we anticipate that this should enable work to start in October 2009. A further KTP with a major charity is at an advanced stage and we are optimistic that this will be approved for a start later this year.
The Centre has been associated with several further research and consultancy bids in the past year involving associates. Most recently we carried out research for a local charity (circa £8000).
International and other external initiatives
The Overseas links with the University of Rome developed into Alex Murdock being invited to give a guest lecture in Rome and to join the board of Mecosan as guest editor, a leading Italian Health Care journal.
A group of MPA students visited Rome and joined with students at the University there. They also visited a number of social enterprises. We hope that in the coming year we may arrange further student visits.
Alex Murdock was appointed Visiting Professor at 2 University Colleges in Norway and has published work with academics from the colleges.
Alex Murdock has also contributed as Chair and contributor to a number of conferences organised by the House of Parliament Magazine conference arm - Westminster Briefing.
Good links have been established with the Said Business School and the School of Social Entrepreneurs which should help us to build both a teaching and research capacity in the area of Social Enterprise. Alex Murdock and Charles Jardine attended a Global Week workshop and meeting on Social Entrepreneurship in 2008 and also in 2009. Charles Jardine attended the Global Social Entrepreneurship Forum in 2008 and 2009.