University shortlisted for national awards for enterprise and leadership development
Our position as an international centre of excellence, ambition and enterprise was strengthened today by the announcement that we've been shortlisted for two prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) awards – Entrepreneurial University of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Development.
We submitted entries in areas which reflect an impressive record of success in developing the skills and talents of outstanding staff and students who use knowledge to find solutions to problems using creativity and innovation.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Keith Burnett said: “I want to congratulate our outstanding staff and students for their superb work in these areas. Sheffield is rightly acknowledged as a national leader for the way that it embeds enterprise and entrepreneurship at the heart of learning across the faculties, but also for the way we work with business in new ways.
"This energy is given focus by the development of a superb programme of shared leadership which means that the ideas and insights of our world-class staff feed into our success as an institution committed to making a positive difference in the world. The talent and energy of all who work in these areas is a joy to see, and the benefits are being felt by individuals and societies across the world.”
A truly entrepreneurial university
The University’s commitment to entrepreneurship across all subject areas has led to the success of University of Sheffield Enterprise, whose work with academics and students reflects a commitment to improve the lives of people and the economy.
Director of Enterprise Education, Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon says this commitment is part of the University’s DNA: “A hundred years after this University was founded by local people who believed a university could transform people’s lives, we are still committed to ambition and enterprise. It’s a joy to see the way that staff and students cultivate, cherish and celebrate entrepreneurship, innovation and enterprise.
“People from around the world are now looking to Sheffield as leaders in this field. Next week we host a conference for International Enterprise Educators, and Sheffield will be the focus of this vital area of development.”
This instinct also motivates the work of our award-winning Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing where over 200 University staff work with hundreds of companies to develop new manufacturing processes and improve competitiveness.
A willingness to rethink traditional approaches to partnership with business and developing skills has also resulted in a novel programme which sees the first intake of 160 young people arrive this autumn at the new AMRC Training Centre to begin advanced apprenticeships backed by local employers.
A desire to approach manufacturing problems in new ways will also be demonstrated in the construction of Factory 2050 – the world’s most advanced factory – in partnership with the UK Government, Boeing, Airbus and Rolls-Royce.
Outstanding leadership which makes a difference
Yet for a university to truly make a difference and to continue to thrive and innovate it needs outstanding leadership at all levels.
Developing world-class leadership across subject areas is at the heart of the innovative Sheffield Leader, which has been shortlisted for its Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Development.
Andy Dodman, Director of Human Resources, said: “Investing in our staff through the Sheffield Leader ensures leaders have the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to face the challenges ahead, both internally and externally, and lead others to provide excellence throughout the institution.
“Sheffield Leader’s modular components consist of four levels of varying duration, welcoming everyone who leads or has the potential to lead. Alumni subsequently join the Sheffield Leader Community, reflecting the diversity and richness of our people and roles, and embodying our key principle of Leadership Everywhere.
Since launching in 2010, 396 participants have completed the Sheffield Leader. The Sheffield Leader Community has also developed a number of University-wide projects, and its reputation has spread beyond the UK with universities in Canada and China replicating the Sheffield approach.
Watch this space for details of the results, which will be announced at the THE Awards ceremony in November.
Enterprise in action
Our innovative teaching programme to harness the entrepreneurs and inventors of the future to solve real-life problems has produced some great outcomes. The Speech Glove is just one example of how our students have made a difference through enterprise, giving a voice to people left isolated by severe speech impediments. Developed by three graduate entrepreneurs who were inspired by our enterprise training to use their skills to solve a live human problem, a prototype of the glove won first prize in our annual Enterprising Ideas Business Planning Competition. The students have gone on to launch a business, and have a confirmed order for the first 25 gloves which will be used by clinicians and patients in Sheffield.
Enterprise facts and figures
The University supports social entrepreneurship, cultivating enterprise not just for commercial gain but to help society and its problems. We have the largest and most dynamic students in free enterprise (SIFE) programme in the UK, called Enactus, harnessing students’ entrepreneurial and volunteering spirit to make a difference.
Enactus has seen 290 students working on over 30 life-changing projects, including a project which transformed the lives of vulnerable Bolivian villagers by creating blankets made from recycled crisp packets.
Thursday 5 September 2013