Durham University’s support for student entrepreneurs has won a national award and secured a place on a major higher-education shortlist, putting the spotlight on how students and graduates are being helped to turn ideas into businesses.
The university won the Enterprise for Good award at the National Enterprise Educator Awards. It has also been shortlisted for Outstanding Entrepreneurial University of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards, with the winner due to be announced on Thursday 26 November.
Support designed to take ideas further
Durham says its entrepreneurship offer is intended to give students practical skills and experience as they prepare for a changing jobs market. A central part of that offer is the purpose-built Hazan Venture Lab, where students and graduates receive support to develop ideas into businesses.
Additional support comes from the university’s Research and Innovation Services team, which brings business experience, and Durham’s Business School. Enterprise is also embedded into teaching and learning across the curriculum, meaning students can encounter innovation and entrepreneurship through their wider studies.
The university’s approach includes a connected set of initiatives: Game Changer, the Summer Innovation Fellowship, Enactus Durham, the Social Impact Fund, the Blueprint Startup Challenge and Durham Venture School. Together, these programmes are designed to support students from an initial experience of innovation through to launching and scaling ventures with social or environmental impact.
Recognition for an integrated approach
Judges at the National Enterprise Educator Awards praised Durham’s integrated pathway and its focus on helping students and graduates use entrepreneurship to address social and environmental challenges.
The Times Higher Education shortlist recognises the university’s wider approach to entrepreneurship. Durham also points to the role of alumni, who support current students as mentors, advisers and investors. The Times Higher Education Awards are described by the university as the most prestigious awards in UK higher education.
Game Changer, one of the initiatives in the programme, has been recognised as best practice by the United Nations, the Scottish Government and Times Higher Education. Its toolkit has been adopted by more than 50 universities worldwide.
Businesses launched by Durham students
The university has highlighted several student ventures as examples of what its support can lead to. Hey! Food is Ready is an online catering marketplace that became a finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
Charter Space develops specialist programme-management software and became the first British space company accepted into the Techstars Space Accelerator programme in Los Angeles. Choppity, an artificial-intelligence video-editing platform, appeared on BBC TV’s Dragons’ Den.
Durham is encouraging students and graduates to find out more about its support for innovation and entrepreneurship, including the Venture Lab and the wider student experience. The university’s next major recognition milestone will come when the Times Higher Education Awards winner is announced in November.