“Business & Business Education: Towards a Shared Southwest Agenda”
9th September 2024
Autumn is academia’s waiting room. Timetables for the new term are released and reviewed. Teaching materials are prepared and updated. ‘Send’ buttons are pressed, releasing bids and articles – a whole summer’s labour of love - to funding bodies and journals. This makes autumn a season of anticipation, also. Not just for a little more sunshine, as the summer starts to depart, without really arriving. Rather, anticipation for opportunities to engage in fruitful conversations, exploring ideas with colleagues and students. Ideas, leading to new connections and partnerships.
Given that ‘bridging relationships and catalysing collaboration’ is part of PRME’s mission statement, it is perhaps no coincidence that the start of autumn brought PRME Southwest Local Network to Cornwall for the first time. 15 academics from all five of the Southwest’s HE and FE institutions: the University of Exeter, Falmouth University, Plymouth University, Truro and Penwith College and the Cornwall College Group came together to discuss ways to build on the legacy of existing relationships between business and business education. Guided by PRME’s seven principles and reflecting on shared commitments undertaken in previous inter-institutional projects, delegates considered ways in which responsible management education can bridge regional skills gaps, and support businesses in
creating graduate opportunities.
The event opened with a keynote by Professor Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas, Chair of the PRME UK & Ireland Chapter who posed a provocation for delegates. With a looming financial crisis in the sector, rising anxiety levels among younger people and plummeting happiness levels in the UK, ‘what is the point in management education’, she asked. There were nods of agreement, as the engaging narration validated challenges faced by delegates in their own practice. Combining authentic auto-ethnography with examples of her own research, Natascha steered the audience towards the shores of hope, urging business academics in the room to focus on doing good – taking part in a community of practice and making learning ‘meaningful’, joyful and active.
Dr Jo Bowler, a research impact fellow with the University of Exeter’s ‘Developing business-aware academics’ project took to the stage next. Seamlessly connecting with the message of hope through doing good, Jo discussed ways in which academics can make a difference to businesses in their local community. Delegates heard of emerging skills gaps in the Southwest, and the urgent need for management education to provide skilled presenters, communicators, adaptable and resilient leaders, not only able to collaborate but commercially aware also. Opportunities to share learning from the project with HE and FE institutions in Cornwall were discussed and Jo kindly offered to keep PRME Southwest updated of project findings at subsequent events.
Our third guest speaker, Dr Jasmine Kelland from Plymouth University was unfortunately prevented from attending, but delegates expressed an interest in hearing about her research into legislation change through concerted business and business education action in the future.
A morning of engaging content with dynamic presenters made time fly by and the arrival of lunch was almost a surprise. Almost, because good conversations and good collaborations make a person hungry. A wide range of sandwiches, drinks and cake offered further opportunities to chat, meet and discuss ways forward. Towards what? Towards a regional educational alliance, allowing all five institutions to collaborate closely. An alliance, guided by PRME’s principles and presenting a unitary perspective to key regional business stakeholders. The University of Exeter and Plymouth University are already PRME signatories, and it was wonderful to see individual interest in PRME involvement by delegates from institutions (currently) not members of PRME.
Autumn is a season of anticipation. We are already looking forward to our next event.
We would like to extend our gratitude to all event delegates, as well Dr Kara Bogus, Head of Exeter Innovation, for her guidance and steer, Jasmin Jelley for her organisation, Mary Hesling, Impact and Partnerships Development Manager and Katie Riesner, Impact and Partnership Development Officer for The Future is Green Project for Southwest network engagement, and Professor Camille Bonneaud, Director of the Environment and Sustainability Institute for being the event’s kind host.
Dr Constantine Manolchev, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Futures, University of Exeter and Co-Convener PRME Southwest Local Network
Dr Ruth Cherrington, Lecturer in Sustainable Futures, University of Exeter
September 2024
In 2018, the UK & Ireland Chapter established seven Local Networks to enable Signatories to collaborate, share best practice, and engage with the Principles of PRME and UN SDGs at a more localised level. The Local Networks offer a forum to promote PRME, as well as organise and participate in events, themed conferences, and other activities.
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