University opens entrepreneurs in residence programme to international network

Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) is set to bring its Entrepreneurs in Residence network to a global audience, in turn giving it access to inspiring leaders from around the world.

In a new initiative, LUMS will partner with business schools across the world to share entrepreneurial connections in order to create a giant pool of business experts who are on hand to help business students and bring classroom learning to life.

The university's Entrepreneurs in Residence are embedded in all activities within the Management School from mentoring students and contributing to lectures and seminars, to sitting on LUMS’ Advisory Board with senior leaders to agree strategy and direction for the faculty.

Over the last 17 years it has grown from a single entrepreneur to a network that boasts more than 90 members from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, operating in different sectors and markets right across the world. Its youngest member is a 21-year-old businesswoman from Malaysia, who owns a manufacturing business employing 40 people.

Brian Gregory, senior teaching fellow at LUMS and director of the EiR network, said: "Our EiRs are incredible, influential people who are working on the front line of business, facing the real-world challenges our students are learning about in their lecture theatres.

"To make their education and experience even more relevant, we bring lessons to life by connecting entrepreneurs with students in the classroom wherever possible. So, if we are delivering a lecture about the coffee industry and the challenges it faces, for example, we can give students the chance to speak directly to a coffee grower in Columbia, to open their eyes to direct experiences and challenges.

"By widening our EiR network to include other universities and their own business connections, we widen our pool of global experts. This will be of huge mutual benefit to both students and entrepreneurs. Students will be able to have direct access to specific businesspeople in specific markets, while entrepreneurs also get access to a wider, stronger network and the opportunity to connect with different regions, gain a deeper understanding of new markets and have the chance to identify future talent."

The new knowledge exchange programme was launched at the annual EiR conference held in Lancaster. The audience of more than 80 business leaders from across the UK who gathered at the event heard that LUMS already had interest and connections made with universities across Asia, Europe and the US as well as the UK.